2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBill Clinton poll invasion petition to Massachusetts atty gen.
at change.org has 100,300 signatures.
scscholar
(2,902 posts)Has he officially endorsed anyone yet? I read that what he did isn't illegal if he didn't do that.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)wear a political button then a former POTUS who's spouse is running for POTUS should not be able to enter voting centers. The way you avoid controversy is not to do stupid borderline garbage like this.
scscholar
(2,902 posts)My original question still stands. Has he endorsed her? If not, then there is no crime.
panader0
(25,816 posts)at four election sites in Mass on election day. He was clearly campaigning within the 150 foot limit.
He and his entourage of SS agents had traffic and crowds snafu-ed for hours.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)... it's essentially an unmoderated "petition-making tool". About as meaningful or politically important as an ordinary-everyday run-of-the-mill "DU Poll". It's just a place for people to let off steam and to drive more hits to the MoveOn website.
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)wear a political button then a former POTUS who's spouse is running for POTUS should not be able to enter voting centers. The way you avoid controversy is not to do stupid borderline garbage like this.
onenote
(42,799 posts)That's what the petition states Clinton could be charged with.
Which is curious, since Massachusetts classifies penalties as Class A, B, C etc., not "first degree, second degree, etc.
And the official list of felonies and misdemeanors in Massachusetts doesn't include anything called a "voter violation felony."
And the violations of the election laws that are listed are generally misdemeanors. In fact, the penalties for violations of election laws in Mass are easily found on the web. Took me a minute. Notably, there isn't a specific penalty listed for engaging in electioneering activity. There is, however, a disorderly conduct penalty, which apparently would apply to electioneering behavior or other disruptive behavior:
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVIII/Chapter56/Section46
A misdemeanor. With a $100 fine/1 month in jail maximum penalty. And a requirement that the accused persist in such behavior and refuse to withdraw from the polling place, or from the central counting place,after notice from the presiding officer or director of the count.
I have said in a number of times and I'll say it again. It was inappropriate for Clinton to show up at the polling places as he did. But was a violation of the law? That's hardly clear cut and when those who are petitioning for legal action have to resort to inventing things like a non-existent "3rd Degree Voter Violation Felony" -- well, that's not appropriate either.
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)done in very poor taste and a pretty pathetic action by a former POTUS. BTW three strikes caused many people who stole food to end up in prison for a very long time Maybe that happened when someone who paid for their crime comes out of jail and can't find a job and is denied food stamps.....
onenote
(42,799 posts)Because it has zero to do with what I posted apart from acknowledging that we agree on the inappropriateness of his action. Do you agree that the petition is based on a made up crime?
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)so what do you think his intentions were that day??? Do you think someone who steals a loaf of bread should spend their life in prison???
onenote
(42,799 posts)But the point is that under Mass law, there is no penalty for that. What has to happen is for a election official or the police to request that he stop and if he refused after being given notice, he could be charged with a misdemeanor for which the maximum penalty is a $100 fine. Not some made up "Third Degree Voter Violation Felony" that some petition writer concocted to serve their own agenda.