Selective Prosecution Claims in John Doe Filings Fall Flat

[Scuba]

http://www.progressive.org/content/selective-prosecution-claims-john-doe-filings-fall-flat

Wisconsin Club for Growth's allegations that prosecutors in the John Doe campaign finance probe have engaged in politically-motivated "selective prosecution" don't stand up to even limited scrutiny. On February 10, Wisconsin Club for Growth (WCFG) and its director Eric O'Keefe filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the John Doe probe as a violation of the First and Fourteenth amendments, and alleging that John Doe prosecutors have "singled out Plaintiffs as targets for investigation, ... while others similarly situated were not targeted."

John Doe prosecutors are reportedly pursuing a theory of illegal electoral coordination during Wisconsin's 2011 and 2012 recall elections between candidates such as the Walker campaign and "independent" groups like WCFG, which spent $9.1 million on election ads during the recalls and funneled millions more to other politically-involved groups.

WCFG devotes seven pages of its federal complaint to what it calls "materially identical" conduct by Democrats or liberal groups, which it claims shows that WCFG and other "targets of the investigation were selected based on political views and associations." Yet a review of the alleged acts of impropriety demonstrates that WCFG is grasping at straws. Many of the alleged acts of impropriety did not violate Wisconsin law. Others were investigated and dismissed. Others lacked any documentation.

...

The "selective prosecution" allegations -- along with WCFG's lengthy rewrite of Wisconsin history -- are part of an effort to show that the investigation is being conducted in bad faith, as partisan retaliation for WCFG exercising its "free speech" rights. Such a showing is necessary to convince a federal court to take the extraordinary step of interfering with a state investigation.

The article goes on to dissect and debunk each of the accusations. It appears clear these won't stand up in a court of law, but are intended to discredit the investigation in the court of public opinion. See the link for more.

[Gothmog]

1. Scott Walker is not above the law?

I thought that the lawsuit to stop the John Doe proceeding was based on the concept that Scott Walker is above the law. I guess that the GOP is going to be shocked to find out that this premise is not true

[hue]

2. WCFG thinks fed investigators are as gullible as their Repuke sheep.

WCFG's words are just a mash of nothingness/meaningless gobbledy gook.