Posted on 06/24/2019 3:51:33 AM PDT by Kaslin
Momentum is building to free conservative former Congressman Steve Stockman from prison. The outspoken conservative activist was targeted by the deep state after he stood up to the Obama administration, which included him calling for the arrest of Lois Lerner. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly misusing nonprofit funds for political purposes.
His attorneys filed an appeal last month. It was followed by an amicus curiae signed by 27 prominent conservatives, all of whom are affiliated with nonprofits themselves. The signers include Richard Viguerie, L. Brent Bozell III and Jenny Beth Martin. The amici are concerned with how the law was twisted to find illegal behavior in regards to the nonprofits Stockman was affiliated with. They wrote, “Under the theory of fraud used by the Government, few if any charitable endeavors — particularly start-ups — could proceed.” Fundraising is protected by the First Amendment.
What happened was Stockman raised money for nonprofit organizations. The money went for educational endeavors, including the creation of a conservative youth political training effort and an informative mailer comparing Stockman’s positions to that of his opponent’s in a Senate race.
Prosecutors claimed that since the money for the youth political training activity didn’t go to the precise aspect of purchasing a training building, it constituted fraud. Similarly, prosecutors claimed that because all of the money for the campaign mailer didn’t precisely go to the postage — since not as many mailers ended up being sent out as planned — it was fraud.
But the donors knew what the money was going to generally and they were fine with it. Essentially, the standards used by the prosecution “punished normal logistics, lawful strategies, or failure as fraud.” The funds were raised legally and without fraud. It’s common in mass mailings to end up sending out fewer pieces of mail than intended. The prosecution would make “criminal acts out of standard, everyday occurrences in direct mail, and the fundraising and financing attendant to it.”
Prosecutors also claimed that the campaign mailer comparing Stockman’s positions with that of his Senate opponent constituted “express advocacy,” which is prohibited for coordinating with 501(c)(4)s. But the courts in the Fifth Circuit have been very clear on this issue: you need words like “vote for” or “elect” related to a specific candidate in order to constitute express advocacy. The mailers contained none of that language. But prosecutors convinced the judge to present the jury with an incorrect definition of express advocacy in jury instructions.
The 10-year prison sentence was excessive. The amicus curiae notes that William Aramony, the late former CEO of United Way, only received seven years in prison for fraudulently diverting $1.2 million of the charity's money to pay for a romance with a teenage girlfriend and other benefits for himself and friends. Unlike Stockman, he was guilty, and guilty of a far worse diversion of funds.
Stockman’s supporters wrote that it “is especially concerning to many of these amici who, from time to time, may be high-profile, outspoken critics of government officials and politicians, as was Stockman.” Stockman’s conviction will have a chilling effect on nonprofits trying to raise and spend money.
Based on the horrendous errors that took place by the prosecution, which were sadly rubber-stamped by the judge, Stockman should be able to get his conviction reversed. Otherwise it sets a terrifying precedent for conservatives in the nonprofit arena.
We’ll see if Clyburn’s wife gets the same treatment. I’m not holding my breath. Welcome to the USSA.
maybe if this gets coverage, the President will issue him a pardon.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ooh, what about Elijah Cummings’ wife?
Maybe it was Cummings wife. I can’t keep the prog criminals straight, I need a scorecard.
It has been suggested more than once that Stockman was set up by operatives from the Cornin Senate re-election campaign because Stockman dared to challenge Cornin in the primary.
Knowing Cornin, I have no problem believing that this may have been the case.
And gutless Republican leaders say nothing ...
Three Felonies a Day.
If the Deep State doesn’t like you, you HAVE broken one or more Federal laws and they can crush you with the process without ever sending you to prison, though that is in the cards, too.
And people deny there is a soft civil war happening right now. When will We the People escalate to protect our republic
How is obama involved? What is the link between him and the vendetta? Someone needs to connect the dots to the Kenyan
It happened while Obama was President, same test as they use for President Trump!
As Kurt Schlicter says, they want us dead.
And he is right. They do indeed want us dead
The chief “witness” against Stockman was facing 45 years in prison. That was reduced to 18 months after the witness agreed to plead guilty and assist the prosecution.
Very hard to understand why Trump has not been involved in this case at all.
Trump tweets every week about political corruption at DOJ, but he does nothing to help his own case - like releasing DOJ documents - and he does nothing to help Conservatives who get snagged in DOJ’s net.
Knowing what I know about our Government, If I am ever called to Jury Duty, the chances of me Voting Guilty are about the same as OJ Confessing during the halftime show at the Superbowl
“Otherwise it sets a terrifying precedent for conservatives in the nonprofit arena.”
No, It’s a prime example of why we need to move cases out of federal court. We need States to take over whenever possible. No one at the federal level is elected and oversight and accountability is nil.
Well, he broke a federal law then. Again, these people at the federal bureaus are making the regulations, interpreting and enforcing the rules. They have set up independent dictatorships and bamboozle the public into thinking that they are honorable because they are “following the law.” Well it’s their law. Let us not forget that the most heinous regimes always followed their laws too.
That’s tyranny that we can tolerate not just in this individual case but in most others. It’s time that we not only oppose egregious cases for partisan purposes but attack the foundation of the entire system.
BUMP!
Another political prisoner of the Democrat party
Don’t forget Elijah Cummings wife...........................
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