Breathless Bice reports that the Milwaukee County DA has opened another John Doe, this one looking at allegations that Wisconsin Right-to-Life was rewarding people who were successful at getting out the vote.
Read that again, because that is the 'allegation.' I'll help you; here's Breathless' (inflammatory and inaccurate) text:
Milwaukee County prosecutors have opened a John Doe investigation into voter bribery allegations stemming from last month's state Senate recall elections, according to sources.
Details of the secret investigation are sketchy, but it is clear the Milwaukee County district attorney's office is investigating charges that Wisconsin Right to Life offered rewards for volunteers who signed up sympathetic voters in the recall races. Several people familiar with the investigation said subpoenas were being distributed "like candy."
Umnhhhhhh....see the difference?
Vote bribery happens when I hand you a pack of cigarettes to vote for Joe Blow. (If I run back to New York City, I won't go to jail.)
But that's not what WRTL did. Not by a long shot. WRTL gave a pizza (or something) to me if I told them that I got YOU to go and vote for a pro-life candidate.
In other words, it's one step removed from "voter bribery."
One wonders if Breathless' text might be over the legal line itself, hmmmmm?
2 comments:
"WRTL gave a pizza (or something) to me if I told them that I got YOU to go and vote for a pro-life candidate."
Sad, and downright suspicious, that ANY group has to induce people with incentives to "convince" others to exercise a right.
Furthermore, the law is clear what constitutes voter fraud.
Wis. Stat. § 12.11(1m)--
Any person who offers or promises to give anything of value to any elector or to any other person, in order to induce any elector to:
1. Go to or refrain from going to the polls.
2. Vote or refrain from voting.
3. Vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular person.
The key word here is "induce". And the law takes into consideration direct and indirect "inducement".
So, it's not "one step removed". Same thing went on way back in the day with the political bosses. Give something to A to get B to vote for C. The enticement is at issue here.
Vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular person.
Would seem to be the operative language here.
Voting "pro-life" is NOT voting "for or against any particular person."
Post a Comment