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| What's served by sending John Edwards to jail? |
| By stlbeacon.org - Jeff Smith |
| Published: 06/08/2011 |
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As a former state senator who served prison time for lying about a campaign finance violation, I unfortunately have a unique perspective on the John Edwards imbroglio - and also on the broader issues of campaign finance law, selective prosecution, and budget priorities in a time of scarcity. Former Kentucky State Treasurer Jonathan Miller asked me to share that perspective at his blog, the Recovering Politician If John Edwards goes to prison, then many other politicians should join him, according to the Department of Justice’s logic. I have a young friend, for instance, who during his first campaign unintentionally did almost exactly what Edwards did. After my friend’s first campaign event, the middle-aged host pulled him aside and said, “Great job! But, can I be candid with you?” “Sure,” he said, wondering if his rhetoric had been too strong for some in the room. “OK. Please don’t be angry,” she said. “But people think you look like a kid, not somebody who could be in Congress. Your suit’s too big. Your shirt is threadbare, your slacks look like rags, and your shoes are scuffed. Basically, you like a boy in your dad’s hand-me-downs. Oh, and you really need a haircut. Your hair looks like a hornet’s nest. You‘ve gotta go see my girl Melissa, she can help you.” My friend went to Melissa for the duration of the campaign, and her handiwork was by all accounts a huge improvement. Melissa refused to charge him, no matter how vehemently he tried to pay her. A few weeks later my friend ran into his high school tennis coach, who also commented on his suit. “You can’t go around looking like that,” said the coach, and gave my friend several stylish suits and blazers that he hadn’t worn in years, with instructions on where to get them altered. Little did my friend know that he had his own Bunny Mellon and Fred Baron, on a slightly smaller scale. And like John Edwards, he neglected to report these gifts on my FEC filings. (FEC rules state that any gift to a federal candidate that is meant to influence an election and which has not been given routinely prior to the benefactor’s candidacy must be reported.) But if Lanny Breuer, the Assistant AG who is prosecuting John Edwards, has anything to say about it, there will be a precedent set for candidates, even those like my friend – neophytes who know precious little about the intricacies of federal campaign finance law. Any failure to report such gifts would merit a felony charge and, potentially, prison time. the Edwards case Let’s lay out a few pertinent facts about the Edwards case. A centenarian billionaire gave almost a million bucks to help him hide his pregnant mistress while he ran for president. Edwards failed to inform his campaign treasurer about these gifts. Who was hurt here – other than Elizabeth Edwards? Read More. |
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