[IP] more on The FBI runs a fake candidate
Begin forwarded message:
From: Paul Levy <plevy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 3, 2005 5:16:13 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] The FBI runs a fake candidate
the odd thing about the story as it ran in the Washington Post was
that, so far as I could tell, this whole sting had led to ONE
prosecution -- not even of the guy who took the money from the
cooperating politician, but someone to whom the recipient handed half
the money. The actual recipient also got immunity for his testimony
Paul Alan Levy
Public Citizen Litigation Group
1600 - 20th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 588-1000
http://www.citizen.org/litigation
David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx> 12/3/2005 3:21 PM >>>
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 3, 2005 1:06:45 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: The FBI runs a fake candidate
According to the AP wire (see
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Election-Sting.html),
the FBI sponsored a "candidate's" run for the West Virginia legislature,
as part of an investigation of political corruption, and in particular
vote-buying. The "candidate" -- a long-time local politician who has
himself pleaded guilty to corruption charges -- withdrew a month before
the election, and finished last.
The whole scheme makes me very uneasy. I can understand the FBI's
motives -- how else can you investigate vote-bying? But this has
great potential for mischief, since it lets law enforcement affect
the political process *on speculation* that there's a problem. This
is very different from prosecuting a politician when you have evidence
of corruption.
The district court judge has upheld the tactic; it will be
interesting to
see what happens if and when this reaches higher courts.
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