Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy maintains innocence ahead of press conference in Montgomery Thursday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Nearly 20 years after Richard Scrushy was indicted and convicted of crimes covering the gamut of money laundering, extortion and bribery during his time as chief executive officer of HealthSouth, he is setting out to clear his name.

Scrushy, who served nearly seven years in federal prison after being convicted in 2006, will hold a press conference in front of the Frank M. Johnson federal courthouse in Montgomery, the same courthouse he was convicted in.

In an interview with CBS 42, Scrushy said he would detail evidence that prosecutors in the case had lied to the judge about evidence that would have exonerated him.

“What they did was wrong,” Scrushy said.

Scrushy was riding high as the head of the multi-billion dollar HealthSouth until 2002, when the Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating him and his company following major stock sales and a $175 million shortfall the company had announced for that quarter. By 2003, he had been charged with 36 counts of fraud, making false corporate reports and making false statements. Scrushy was acquitted of the charges in Birmingham, but months later, a federal grand jury had indicted him on over 30 counts of money laundering, racketeering, extortion, bribery and obstruction of justice. The case also led to the downfall of the last Democrat to serve as governor of Alabama.

Specifically, Scrushy was accused of giving $500,000 to former Gov. Don Siegelman for an appointment to the state’s certificate of need board. In 2007, Scrushy was found guilty on six counts of bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud while Siegelman was convicted on bribery and wire fraud charges, serving seven years in prison.

Scrushy was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison, but was released in 2012. He currently lives in Texas.

Today, the former CEO remains under legal scrutiny from his former company, now called Encompass Health, who has asked a court to find the $2.8 billion Scrushy was forced to pay them through restitution to its shareholders.

The press conference will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday,