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Prosecutor wants jail time for Dinesh D'Souza
American Thinker ^ | 09/11/2014 | Rick Moran

Posted on 09/11/2014 8:15:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Saying that the defendant had offered no proof that he felt remorse for his crime, a New York prosecutor is asking a judge to send Dinesh D'Souza to jail for violating campaign finance laws.

D'Souza pled guilty to making straw donations to the 2012 United States Senate campaign of Wendy E. Long. He asked two friends and their wives to donate  the maximum to Long's campaign - $20,000 in all - and then reimbursed them, thus exceeding the $5,000 limit on donations per election cycle.

Considering all the chicanery conducted by the Obama campaigns of 2008 and 2012, where millions of dollars in illegal campaign contributions came in, the idea of sending D'Souza to jail for a $20,000 violation of the law is absurd and laughable.

New York Times:

In seeking a prison term for Mr. D’Souza, 53, the government disputed his lawyer’s contention in recent court papers that his client had “unequivocally accepted responsibility” for his crime.

“The defendant pled guilty at the last possible moment before trial began,” prosecutors wrote, “not because he actually accepted responsibility for his conduct, but because he was in fact guilty and he had no defense or excuse for his criminal conduct.”

“The defendant’s crime is serious and strikes at the heart of our federal election system,” prosecutors added.

The government had said Mr. D’Souza arranged in August 2012 to have two friends each donate $10,000 on behalf of themselves and their spouses to Ms. Long’s campaign, with the understanding that Mr. D’Souza would reimburse their contributions. That resulted in a contribution of $20,000, exceeding the $5,000 individual limit for the 2012 election cycle.


(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democratscandals; dineshdsouza; dncbrownshirts; doublestandard; dsouza; obamunism; orwelliannightmare; partisanwitchhunt; politicalpurge; stalinisttactics
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Oh I don't care about the football players but how about all the Obama fraudsters?
21 posted on 09/11/2014 8:31:34 AM PDT by defconw (Both parties have clearly lost their minds!)
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To: SeekAndFind

As much as I like D’Souza, those of us who stand for lawful government need to be more pristine than the rogues who believe the end justifies the means.

But I really would like a level playing field as far as culpability.


22 posted on 09/11/2014 8:31:55 AM PDT by LucianOfSamasota (Tanstaafl - its not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why is it the rats just get to give the money back — no questions asked?


23 posted on 09/11/2014 8:33:32 AM PDT by jersey117 (sams.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Jail time for exercising Freedom of Speech is just wrong on so many levels.


24 posted on 09/11/2014 8:34:17 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (Bomb ISIS; bomb them again; bomb them again; kill all survivors; take no prisoners.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Meanwhile, Jon Corzine gets off scot free.


25 posted on 09/11/2014 8:35:46 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: SeekAndFind

Makes no sense. Progressives love voter fraud and honor those that practice it:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/03/21/Woman-convicted-of-voter-fraud-honored-by-Ohio-Democrats


26 posted on 09/11/2014 8:36:44 AM PDT by bobo1 (progressives=commies/fascists)
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To: LucianOfSamasota

Its ridiculous that unions can extort millions in dues from members which they then use to buy elections & political influence; corporations can hire lobbyists who sit with unelected bureaucrats and write law while an individual citizen is not allowed to donate what they have honestly earned, in any amount they choose, to the candidates of their choice.


27 posted on 09/11/2014 8:37:25 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: SeekAndFind

D’Souza knew better. He did the everybody doing it dance and got caught. Thanks for making Conservatives look bad in the news Dinesh.


28 posted on 09/11/2014 8:38:03 AM PDT by amihow
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To: SeekAndFind
And this is how the Republic Falls.

You produce a legal system that is so muddled two different Judges can elicit a totally different outcome just by adjudicating the case in subtly different ways. Add all the legal eagles involved nod knowingly...

29 posted on 09/11/2014 8:38:57 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: skeeter

With the democrat criminal cabal in power the law becomes a tool for the destruction if its enemies.


30 posted on 09/11/2014 8:41:37 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Mad Dawgg

Add = and...


31 posted on 09/11/2014 8:41:45 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: SeekAndFind

So if D’Souza had contributed one cent more than the legal limit for donations, he would have liable to a prison term. What a great country we live in where 527 groups can contribute millions and it’s legal. But an individual exceeds 5,000 and he (or she) is a criminal. (snicker)


32 posted on 09/11/2014 8:42:15 AM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: F15Eagle
"KGB car?"

Yep.

33 posted on 09/11/2014 8:43:33 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: luvbach1

Since the George Soroses of the Left are already doing this, might as well level out the playing field.


34 posted on 09/11/2014 8:45:47 AM PDT by fwdude (The last time the GOP ran an "extremist," Reagan won 44 states.)
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To: bonehead4freedom

Even if the Left loses on their Lawfare lawsuit on appeal, they have successfully sent the message that they will use these weapons without provocation and force people to expend resources over years defending themselves with the resultant damage to reputation. Mission accomplished.

Look at what the Austin Marxists are doing to Gov. Perry. Suing him for CONSTITUTIONALLY vetoing legislation! Outrageous!!!


35 posted on 09/11/2014 8:50:36 AM PDT by fwdude (The last time the GOP ran an "extremist," Reagan won 44 states.)
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To: amihow

RE: Thanks for making Conservatives look bad in the news Dinesh.

Why?

There are millions of conservatives in the USA, perhaps even outnumbering liberals. How does the fault of ONE MAN taint every other conservative?


36 posted on 09/11/2014 8:51:23 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: SeekAndFind; F15Eagle
Ahhhhh.......Democrats.....

They accuse others of what they are.

You're a lousy drunk!

You're a corrupt liar!

You're a racist!


37 posted on 09/11/2014 8:55:24 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: SeekAndFind

I think the Regime is going easy on him. I’m surprised they didn’t go for a death sentence.


38 posted on 09/11/2014 8:55:55 AM PDT by Flick Lives ("I can't believe it's not Fascism!")
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To: Cyman
I think the dispute is not whether Dinesh D'Souza committed the crime, it is virtually indisputable that he did. The discussion revolves around three questions: 1) was there selective prosecution and if so, so what? 2) what should be the appropriate punishment in a political context? 3) should the punishment be consistent with that meted out to other political operatives?

As to the issue (1) it appears that the defense was raised and dismissed by the judge. At this level we must accept is a fact that there was no political prosecution but that is a fact which is very difficult to swallow given the political climate created by this administration and especially by this Attorney General. There can be no argument but that there has been unequal prosecutorial bias in favor of Democrats on so many issues from voter intimidation by Black Panthers, to gunrunning, to IRS abuses, and to alleged voter fraud committed by Democrats and alleged abusive voter fraud investigations initiated by Eric Holder.

Selective prosecution is rarely persuasive when contesting guilt because it is not a defense to say to an arresting officer, "everybody does it." It is no defense to a speeding ticket to say that other drivers were speeding as well. Generally when we invoke a selective prosecution defense it is for a crime which is malum in se but here we speak of a political crime. There is a raging dispute which went all the way to the Supreme Court about the meaning of money in elections. In one context at least, the Supreme Court has said that money is the equivalent of free speech and must be protected, although the court apparently permits regulations in other areas in which money seeks to affect elections. So it is not clear that the Dinesh D'Souza violated a law which is malum in se. Therefore, selective prosecution takes a different tone, it smacks of the very sin which the Souza himself as being accused of, an attempt to influence an election but this time by the opposite political party now clothed as prosecutor.

The consideration of issue (2) as to the extent appropriate punishment is also to be considered in this political context. In any event, the criminal in this case is a first offender and should be treated like other first offenders absent egregious aggravating circumstances. This is all the more true in a political case. Especially a political case in which the issue of selective prosecution cannot be far from our thoughts and in a case in which the morality behind the law is and has been openly questioned by no less an authority than the Supreme Court.

Other violators who are Democrats apparently received probation and that would seem to be an appropriate punishment for Dinesh D'Souza who is a first-time offender as well.


39 posted on 09/11/2014 8:56:00 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: SeekAndFind

Do folks remember all the tax problems Obama appointees had?

Heck, their infractions didn't even prevent them from getting some of the highest paid government jobs.

Now this. Of course it's a subversion of the election process.

Armed thugs outside voting precincts weren't of course.

Asking for IDs before allowing someone to vote is though.

And so it goes...

En el Republico del Chiquita...

40 posted on 09/11/2014 8:58:29 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (We'll know when he's really hit bottom. They'll start referring to him as White.)
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