[Wulfschilde]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5 ... y-can-vote

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has reportedly raised more than $16 million in an effort to help convicted felons in Florida register to vote.

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition estimated Bloomberg's fundraising push has already paid off monetary obligations for 32,000 felons, Axios reported.

There's evidence that they were specifically seeking out black and Hispanic felons, under the belief that such people are more likely to vote Democrat.

Meanwhile: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2018/0104.061

104.061 Corruptly influencing voting.—
(1) Whoever by bribery, menace, threat, or other corruption whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, attempts to influence, deceive, or deter any elector in voting or interferes with him or her in the free exercise of the elector’s right to vote at any election commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084 for the first conviction, and a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, for any subsequent conviction.
(2) No person shall directly or indirectly give or promise anything of value to another intending thereby to buy that person’s or another’s vote or to corruptly influence that person or another in casting his or her vote. Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. However, this subsection shall not apply to the serving of food to be consumed at a political rally or meeting or to any item of nominal value which is used as a political advertisement, including a campaign message designed to be worn by a person.

That's at least 32,000 felonies. Another section says that it's a felony to pay someone to register to vote but even if they try to wiggle out of the "register" part, even trying to influence someone's vote is still a felony. Every felon who accepted having their debt paid has (under another section) also committed a felony because they have accepted money in return for an influence over their vote.

Florida's AG and some Republican senators have called for an investigation into Mr. Bloomberg over these allegations. It would be amazing if this arrogant guy went to jail over this.

[KurtFF8]

I'm certainly no fan of Bloomberg or the Democratic Party, but this is quite a stretch by the GOP. It just demonstrates that they don't want large swaths of people in Florida to have the right to vote.

[Wulfschilde]

I'm certainly no fan of Bloomberg or the Democratic Party, but this is quite a stretch by the GOP. It just demonstrates that they don't want large swaths of people in Florida to have the right to vote.

You appear to be a communist and yet here you are defending a billionaire. I posted the text of the law, how is it "quite a stretch"?

Here's some more details in a WaPo version of the story, which references a "Bloomberg memo" about how he's doing it to try and add more voters to the rolls for Biden: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg and his team have raised more than $16 million to pay the court fines and fees of nearly 32,000 Black and Hispanic Florida voters with felony convictions, an effort aimed at boosting turnout for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The money will fund a program organized by the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to pay the fines, fees and restitution costs for former prisoners who are already registered to vote in Florida but barred by law from participating in the election because of those outstanding debts.

Bloomberg, who has committed at least $100 million to electing Biden in the state, raised the money from individuals and foundations over the past week, his advisers said. He saw the donations as a more cost-effective way of adding votes to the Democratic column than investing money to persuade voters who already have the right to vote, a Bloomberg memo said.

[Chad]

Bring back the water cannons and let us tar and feather the Corrupt Career Criminal Politicians that have destroyed America's middle class. You cannot throw your pearls to the swine. Criminals should be hung outside in Bird cages until the sentence is fulfilled. Little handed, pizza finger licking, billionaire Bloomberg Mikey is a Leftist Commie Pinko turd. Felons should not get to vote. Felons are not good for America. President Trump and the GOP are for law abiding, taxpaying, legal American citizens, first and foremost. A felon did something to be a felon. The court system has decided and that is that. Democrats always want to change the rules as well as the playing field. The Democrat party is full of communists (Elites) and druggy losers (Fentanyl kings and queens living in Democrat cities on HUD and WIC). Never vote for any Antifa Loving, BLM Supporting, Police Defunding, Communist Leftist Democrat this Century. Joe Biden is a brain dead. The Democrat party is full of political garbage. It is time for America's taxpaying legal citizens to take out the trash. God Bless President Trump. God Bless America.

[KurtFF8]

You appear to be a communist and yet here you are defending a billionaire. I posted the text of the law, how is it "quite a stretch"?

Here's some more details in a WaPo version of the story, which references a "Bloomberg memo" about how he's doing it to try and add more voters to the rolls for Biden: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

I'm not "defending a billionaire," I'm quite opposed to Bloomberg. That doesn't make the GOP's move here valid, it's not.

[Pants-of-dog]

“Helping people vote is illegal”.

[Rancid]

Assuming those felons have completed their sentences and are not on probation. Helping them to vote isn't illegal, at least I didn't think it was.

[KurtFF8]

Bring back the water cannons and let us tar and feather the Corrupt Career Criminal Politicians that have destroyed America's middle class. You cannot throw your pearls to the swine. Criminals should be hung outside in Bird cages until the sentence is fulfilled. Little handed, pizza finger licking, billionaire Bloomberg Mikey is a Leftist Commie Pinko turd. Felons should not get to vote. Felons are not good for America. President Trump and the GOP are for law abiding, taxpaying, legal American citizens, first and foremost. A felon did something to be a felon. The court system has decided and that is that. Democrats always want to change the rules as well as the playing field. The Democrat party is full of communists (Elites) and druggy losers (Fentanyl kings and queens living in Democrat cities on HUD and WIC). Never vote for any Antifa Loving, BLM Supporting, Police Defunding, Communist Leftist Democrat this Century. Joe Biden is a brain dead. The Democrat party is full of political garbage. It is time for America's taxpaying legal citizens to take out the trash. God Bless President Trump. God Bless America.

I don't believe that @Chad wrote this. I think this is an automatically generated post from some Breitbart bot site.

[ingliz]

There's evidence that they...

Demographics won't cut it.

Can you provide evidence of a contractual agreement, verbal or written, that those 'helped' must vote Democrat?

If not, it's just noise.

[Wulfschilde]

Demographics won't cut it.

Can you provide evidence of a contractual agreement, verbal or written, that those 'helped' must vote Democrat?

If not, it's just noise.

The word "must" is not in there. The law uses the word "influence" and I provided a WaPo article that evidences this.

[ingliz]

influence

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition does not ask about someone’s partisan affiliation when they apply for financial assistance.

Bloomberg has reportedly raised more than $16 million in an effort to help convicted felons in Florida register to vote.

The state argued throughout litigation that the statute requiring payment of all fines and fees prior to voting was not a poll tax. If that is the case, what does it matter who pays the debt?

“Florida created an unconstitutional system that prohibits people from voting until their debts are paid. Now the state is objecting to those debts being paid. The state seems intent on preventing voting, rather than collecting payment."

— Julie Ebenstein, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union

[Rich]

I'm a universal suffrage democrat, I'm referring to the democratic ideology or outlook not the party. I support proportional representation, it encourages politicians to form parties where the membership have meaningful shared goals and to argue for policies they actually believe in. Pure PR is simple. The capricious, distorting and corrupting systems of first past the post encourage to the parties to concentrate their energies on gaming the system in marginal constituencies. Of course money is always going to influence elections, but money has much more power in first past the post systems and money is especially powerful in America where in 2020 you've effectively got nearly 1500 electoral races just at the national level.

Money in an election like most things is subject to diminishing returns. So where you effectively have just on national race, where people vote for party not candidate, the money tends to cancel itself out and the parties with a financial advantage receive much less benefit from that advantage.

As I've said before I argue for zero tolerance policy to all whining about the arbitrariness, unfairness and cheating of the US system by those who support the system. Its like the Tour de France. I have no problem with people setting up an insane, highly unhealthy, dangerous, massively prestigious competition of endurance. But please don't come back to me whining about people cheating or taking drugs in it.

[late]

That's at least 32,000 felonies.

Thanks for the laugh, first of the day. He's here til Thursday, try the veal.