By Alabama Public Radio
Birmingham, AL – Defense attorneys for HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy want "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace to testify in their client's upcoming trial. Scrushy once granted an interview to Wallace while he was still HealthSouth CEO. The interview concerned allegations that he orchestrated a massive fraud at the company. Scrushy now faces charges of illegally overstating the company's profits by about $2.6 billion. He goes on trial this week. Wallace and CBS producer Robert Anderson have been subpoenaed as witnesses to discuss their TV interview about the HealthSouth scandal. But the two have asked Federal Judge Karon Bowdre to throw out the subpoena, citing their First Amendment rights and claiming they don't have anything to add to the case. Bowdre has not yet ruled on whether they must appear. Wallace's "60 Minutes" segment with Scrushy first aired in October 2003 and was rebroadcast last August. Documents say prosecutors plan to show the tape or parts of it to jurors. And defense attorneys say if that happens, they want to question the journalists about the interview. Scrushy's trial is expected to last at least two months.