It certainly does appear that Bloomberg is attempting to but people’s votes.
Florida’s attorney general asked law enforcement officials on Wednesday to investigate recent fundraising efforts by billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg to pay off court fees and other fines so people with felony convictions can vote. The same effort has been championed by high profile figures, including the NBA megastar LeBron James.
The basis for an investigation was not immediately clear, but it came a day after Bloomberg announced he had raised $16m for the effort. The Republican attorney general, Ashley Moody, said she began reviewing the matter at the request of Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, also a Republican. Her letter, addressed to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI, includes a Washington Post article that frames the $16m haul in the context of Bloomberg’s efforts to boost Joe Biden in the state. She also included several state and federal statutes making it clear that someone cannot pay someone for their vote.
“After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law, it appears further investigation is warranted. Accordingly, I request that your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited,” she said in the brief letter.
He’s fucked.
I’m pretty sure Jason,it won’t be the first time.
Leroy, Pat, and JJF have absolutely no comment on this abhorrent action by Bloomberg? More Occam’s broom activity!
If it is legal, why can’t he? If it isn’t, prosecute. Just like anyone that votes twice following trump’s suggestion should be prosecuted.
I don’t know, if court fees and fines that people can’t afford is the only thing stopping them from voting and keeping the label ‘felon’, I am not sure I have a problem with it. Think about it without considering who they will likely vote for. Time has been served, but fines keep that kind of label on a person as long as it takes a felony convicted person to pay them off?
If his purpose was philanthropic as opposed to getting out the vote, I would respect it. As it is, it may be a bit greasy, but helping those who need it just might make honest people out of some of them.
“ Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 restoring the right for felons to vote, except those convicted of murder or felony sexual offenses. This right was later conditioned on the payment of all fees, fines, and restitution that were part of their sentence. ”
The later added condition of paying of all fees, fines, and restitution in order to vote could be construed as a poll tax on those individuals. But there are those that insist it’s not.
I have no problem with helping people who need help pay off their fines.
I’m with Tuerqas on this.
He should try giving them $200 drug cards.
“He should try giving them $200 drug cards.”
That would be bribing seniors with tax payer money.
>Just like anyone that votes twice following trump’s suggestion
Except for the fact that he didn’t suggest that… You can’t understand that? Trump is smarter than you!
“He should try giving them $200 drug cards.”
I didn’t know drug dealers in meth took government issued drug cards.
This reminds me of the city that would prosecute people for putting coins into other peoples’ parking meters.
Unless he had these folks sign a pledge to vote a certain way, I don’t see a problem with this.
penguin, he is only doing this for people of color,instead of everyone.
And his campaign people let it slip that they are doing this to buy votes.
Interesting comparison though. But if it was illegal to put money in the meters, they should have been arrested.
And Bloomberg should be arrested if it is illegal by bribing people to vote.
Turk wonders: Time has been served, but fines keep that kind of label on a person as long as it takes a felony convicted person to pay them off?
The time may have been completed but the sentence has not. Fines and restitution are part of the sentencing process and determination.
As simple example, when you are caught speeding you are convicted of a crime and sentenced to pay a fine. If you ran over a stop sign while speeding, you will be sentenced to restitution as well to pay for the replacement. (yes, most people just say “I got caught” instead of the more corrupt sounding “I was convicted” for small stuff like that.)
Note that paying the fine or restitution (or serving your time) does not erase your conviction (unless so stated in the sentencing) .
What bothers me is that even some law hacks are mislabeling these ex-prisoners as “former felons”.