Matt Wuerker for June 28, 2016
June 23, 2016
June 30, 2016
Transcript:
The Supreme Court vacates Gov. McDonnell's bribery case, citing the importance of a more "limited interpretation" of public corruption as good for the operation of government. Justice 1: ...and we are adjourned. Have a great summer everyone... Justice 2: See y'all later, I"m off on another free trip. Justice 3: My alma mater's hositng a "law and golf" trip in Palm Beach. Justice 4: I got another sweet junket as well. Justice 5: Me too! Justice 6: I'm invited to that ranch Nino loved!
Combatcarl almost 8 years ago
Only in the US….
Dtroutma almost 8 years ago
It does seem though that they spend more time actually on the job than Congress, even when they’ve been a tad crippled by Senate inaction.
Mr. Blawt almost 8 years ago
If corporations are people and cash is free speech, can there even be public corruption? Justices no longer recuse themselves on cases they have dealings with, the Senate no longer fills vacancies, and nothing is coming out of Congress. Why worry about something 99% of us have no control over?
kurt.zwicky almost 8 years ago
I wonder who payed all his legal fees, now that he is no longer in office?
superposition almost 8 years ago
braindead Premium Member almost 8 years ago
C’mon, the Supreme Court was just invoking that other part ot the Constitution:
It’s OKAY If A Republican Does It.
I Play One On TV almost 8 years ago
I am from Virginia. Mr. McDonnell is from my hometown. I am well familiar with the fact that he is a scumbag. But when this all came down, I said I did not believe he would be convicted, as being a sleazebucket is not illegal. The law states, and the justices understand, that there has to be blatant quid pro quo: “I’ll give you a ride in my Ferrari, and your wife can buy a new dress and you can get a Rolex (and on and on) if you will connect me with these people.” If these words are not recorded in some legally defensible way, it is not illegal.
If you say “I’ll pay your daughter’s wedding expenses, but I don’t really expect you to do anything to help me advance my company’s new product to that group of people you’ll be hosting in a couple days”, that is perfectly fine.
The justices did not err, the law is flawed. And it has been made tighter since then, but not by much.
Mr. McDonnell, however happy he can be to avoid prison time, is not without penalty. It has cost him the chance to become VP or even go farther, which was certainly his (and his wife’s) goal. The family was undergoing financial stress due to other investments while he was governor (which is why they were so happy to accept the gifts and loans). I can’t imagine things are any better after legal fees. And I don’t think they’re together anymore. He’s got O.J. disease: he isn’t guilty but no one wants to be seen with him.