Friday, June 12, 2015

Scott Walker & friends can coordinate their anxiety

Commentary not needed on this headline:
Two-year sentence for GOP operative convicted of illegal coordination
A former Republican political operative convicted in a first-ever federal criminal case of illegal coordination between a campaign and a purportedly independent ally was sentenced Friday to two years in prison — a lighter punishment than prosecutors sought but one that might still serve to send a message about the crime.  
Under skeptical questioning from U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady, 34-year-old Tyler Harber conceded: “I’m guilty of this. I knew it was wrong when I did it.” But Harber said he was not motivated by greed or a lust for power: he simply wanted to win an election and believed what he was doing was a common — if illegal — practice.  
“I got caught up in what politics has become,” Harber said.
 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, lets see what the Wisconsin Supreme court, bought and paid for by conservatives, rules on John Doe 2. This case sets precedence showing the legality of the Doe investigation. But, how can we expect 4 justices that broke this law, to comply with it and give a fair verdict. This needs to go to the SCOTUS, if these justices do not fairly litigate this law. End of story!!

Anonymous said...

Hi James,

Did you see this fantastic--just fantastic!--article? It is long(ish) but well worth it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/magazine/scott-walker-and-the-fate-of-the-union.html?_r=1

Keep up the good work!

Jake formerly of the LP said...

Do you think this is why the "WMC 4" might not rule so favorably for Walker on John Doe 2? Now that there's a federal conviction on this type of campaign coordination, they can't argue that doing so is OK without a major federal court fight, and the WI judge s being grown into the middle of it.

These guys are trapped between their donors and what the law an decedent says, and they're trying to find a way out. If they make something up to try to let Walker off the hook, recalls should immediately follow, especially in light of this decision in Virginia.