Republican campaign staff crime wave! (latest 2/21)

[Jeff V]

Well, not exactly. It's not like everything outside the city is countryside -- the Chicago metro area, for example, has a population of 9.5 million, almost 2/3 of which is outside the City of Chicago proper.

Sure, but I don't think countryside need be a necessity of a state.

The more you separate the big city from the surrounding metro area, the more divergent their interests will become and the more dysfunctional the relationship. A dynamic encouraging the opposite is needed.

Also, assuming the creation of an equal-population map, how often do you re-draw the states?

[Fitzy]

What do you see as the problem? Disproportional representation? Unless you split up the metropolitan areas, you're still going to have states with a very highly concentrated population. Splitting up large cities into different states sounds like a pretty bad idea.

I think the actual problem today with government is a lack of representation. Combined with increased power at the federal level, I suspect this contributes greatly to people not voting. Why vote if it doesn't matter?

Disproportional representation is almost impossible to get rid of without constitutional changes, I'm not ready to go there yet. Some of it could be mitigated.

The house could be partially solved with a massive increase in the number representatives. Though I'd be interested in exploring proportional voting, say 5-10 representatives per district with voting power based on the percentage of votes they get.

The power of the federal government is a ship that has long since sailed and states rights are badly tainted by the issue of racism. I don't see a way back. So more Representatives! There would be no constitutional issue. It would greatly reduce the power of any one representative. It would greatly reduce the power of money on that side of the equation.

The Senate is working as designed as far as I can see. If the left doesn't like it, break up California and New York. The right could respond by breaking up Texas. New states would be fun.

[Isgrimnur]

If we go to one rep per 30k, we end up with ~10,700 representatives.

[Smoove_B]

I keep coming back in here thinking there's more Republican crimes and then feeling let down.

[Isgrimnur]

Penn.

Right about the time polls closed Tuesday and Scott Edward Robinson, 33, of Carlisle, secured the Republican nomination for mayor of Carlisle, he was arrested and taken to Cumberland County Prison, charged with felony burglary.

Around 7:44 p.m. Tuesday, Carlisle Police responded to the 100 block of South West Street for a report that Robinson had been in a dispute with two residents and was attempting to break into the home, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Carlisle Police.

When police arrived, Robinson was seen attempting to remove the front door of the home with a power tool, police said.

Robinson, who owns the property, arrived at the home earlier and confronted the tenants, according to police. The victims told police that Robinson was told to leave because he was yelling and acting in a “violent and tumultuous” manner, police said.

At one point, Robinson attempted to force his way into the home, but was pushed back by the two people inside the home, according to an affidavit. Robinson then left the home and returned with a hammer and began hitting the door, breaking a glass window, police said.

He again left and returned with a power tool, at which point he was confronted by police, the affidavit said.
...
When police attempted to arrest Robinson, he refused and threatened to fight one of the officers, police said. He was eventually subdued with a Taser and taken to Cumberland County Prison, where he is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Robinson is charged with felony burglary, criminal trespass, misdemeanor resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and summary criminal mischief.

In the affidavit, police said Robinson has a history of violence and a “propensity to fight with authorities.”

[Holman]

If we go to one rep per 30k, we end up with ~10,700 representatives.

That chart: the rise becomes even starker if instead of number of people per rep it's number of voters, especially prior to the women's suffrage and the Civil Rights movement.

I don't think representatives always understood themselves to be going to Washington to speak for children, wives, laborers, and farmhands they way they spoke for voting heads of households.

[Isgrimnur]

Something something three fifths compromise.

[Holman]

Something something three fifths compromise.

Yeah. They weren't being represented either.

[Moliere]

[Enough]

The former head of the Republican Party in CO and shock jock radio host famous for railing on about voter fraud has a problem,

Just weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Steve Curtis told his radio listeners, “Virtually every case of voter fraud that I can remember in my lifetime was committed by Democrats or do I not have the facts?”

Now Curtis, the chairman of Colorado’s Republican party in the late 1990s and a former talk show host for KLZ-560 AM, is on trial in a Weld County courtroom, charged with felony forgery [and] misdemeanor election fraud.

The 58-year-old is accused of forging his ex-wife’s signature on her 2016 mail-in ballot after the couple divorced and she moved to South Carolina.

“To me it was demeaning and presumptuous and I had no idea what would go on in someone`s mind to cast my ballot for me illegally,” Kelly said in March.

The forgery was uncovered after Kelly Curtis called the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s Office to find out how she could cast her ballot only to be told she had already voted.

[Defiant]

New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

link

[El Guapo]

The former head of the Republican Party in CO and shock jock radio host famous for railing on about voter fraud has a problem,

Just weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Steve Curtis told his radio listeners, “Virtually every case of voter fraud that I can remember in my lifetime was committed by Democrats or do I not have the facts?”

Now Curtis, the chairman of Colorado’s Republican party in the late 1990s and a former talk show host for KLZ-560 AM, is on trial in a Weld County courtroom, charged with felony forgery [and] misdemeanor election fraud.

The 58-year-old is accused of forging his ex-wife’s signature on her 2016 mail-in ballot after the couple divorced and she moved to South Carolina.

“To me it was demeaning and presumptuous and I had no idea what would go on in someone`s mind to cast my ballot for me illegally,” Kelly said in March.

The forgery was uncovered after Kelly Curtis called the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s Office to find out how she could cast her ballot only to be told she had already voted.

To be fair, he did wind up proving the existence of voter fraud.

[malchior]

New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

link

I seem to remember he basically slammed Slaughter after she was involved in digging into his alleged activities. What a piece of shit.

[LawBeefaroni]

New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

link

I seem to remember he basically slammed Slaughter after she was involved in digging into his alleged activities. What a piece of shit.

True to modern morality, his defense is that he never traded shares. No shit, he told his son and friends critical insider information he learned as a board member. That's the crime.

All these morally bankrupt motherfuckers.

[El Guapo]

New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

link

I seem to remember he basically slammed Slaughter after she was involved in digging into his alleged activities. What a piece of shit.

True to modern morality, his defense is that he never traded shares. No shit, he told his son and friends critical insider information he learned as a board member. That's the crime.

[malchior]

New York Republican Rep. Christopher Collins has been indicted on insider trading charges, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

link

I seem to remember he basically slammed Slaughter after she was involved in digging into his alleged activities. What a piece of shit.

True to modern morality, his defense is that he never traded shares. No shit, he told his son and friends critical insider information he learned as a board member. That's the crime.

All these morally bankrupt motherfuckers.

Seriously. He knew what he was doing. I'm glad they basically ran through the whole family. Fuck them all.

[Defiant]

[LawBeefaroni]

It's not about who invested, it's about who sold on the [insider] news of the disasterous clinical trial. So far looks like his son and son's fiance/FIL.

[Holman]

Chris Collins just announced that he is suspending his re-election campaign.

[Skinypupy]

“I’m a criminal and will likely be serving time for my own illegal actions, but look...DEMOCRATS ARE BAD!!”

What an asshole.

[Defiant]

Chris Collins just announced that he is suspending his re-election campaign.

And anyone who's paid attention to the Ocasio/Crowley election and the NY ballot laws will know that it would be pretty hard for him to remove himself from the ballot (although one avenue - getting convicted of a crime - appears to be doable).

[El Guapo]

Chris Collins just announced that he is suspending his re-election campaign.

And anyone who's paid attention to the Ocasio/Crowley election and the NY ballot laws will know that it would be pretty hard for him to remove himself from the ballot (although one avenue - getting convicted of a crime - appears to be doable).

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign? What are their options here?

[Holman]

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign?

A write-in campaign will be fun if they go with Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw .

[Defiant]

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign? What are their options here?

Maybe they can get the new candidate to change their name to Chris Collins?

More seriously, I think moving out of state is an option.

[El Guapo]

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign? What are their options here?

Maybe they can get the new candidate to change their name to Chris Collins?

More seriously, I think moving out of state is an option.

That would work to get Collins off the ballot (as I understand it). But can the GOP still put someone else *on* the ballot? Or are they stuck with write-in options?

[Sepiche]

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign? What are their options here?

Maybe they can get the new candidate to change their name to Chris Collins?

More seriously, I think moving out of state is an option.

Guess who's coming to dinner...

Carl Paladino, a Buffalo real estate developer and big Donald Trump supporter, announced Saturday that he intends to run for Congress in New York’s 27th district. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), who was arrested on charges of insider trading last week.

[El Guapo]

Is the GOP going to have to try a write-in campaign? What are their options here?

Maybe they can get the new candidate to change their name to Chris Collins?

More seriously, I think moving out of state is an option.

Guess who's coming to dinner...

Carl Paladino, a Buffalo real estate developer and big Donald Trump supporter, announced Saturday that he intends to run for Congress in New York’s 27th district. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), who was arrested on charges of insider trading last week.

Thanks - this has the answer:

Interested candidates are competing to win-over the eight GOP county chairs in the district, who get to pick the nominee, if they’re able to get Collins’ name removed from the ballot.

Though (unless the prosecution moves really quickly) it sounds like they'll only be able to get Collins off the ballot if he cooperates by moving out of state or running for some other office.

[Defiant]

Or being convicted of a crime.

[El Guapo]

Or being convicted of a crime.

Right, that's the "unless the prosecution moves really quickly" part. There's not going to be a conviction before November 2018. Unless Collins pleads guilty, I suppose, but I assume he'd prefer to move out of state, if he's being helpful.

[Rip]

This calls for a political rendition.

Good morning Mr. Collins welcome to somewhere in Alaska. Your new home.

[Unagi]

Or being convicted of a crime.

Right, that's the "unless the prosecution moves really quickly" part. There's not going to be a conviction before November 2018. Unless Collins pleads guilty, I suppose, but I assume he'd prefer to move out of state, if he's being helpful.

Can someone who was arrested just move to another state freely?

[El Guapo]

Or being convicted of a crime.

Right, that's the "unless the prosecution moves really quickly" part. There's not going to be a conviction before November 2018. Unless Collins pleads guilty, I suppose, but I assume he'd prefer to move out of state, if he's being helpful.

Can someone who was arrested just move to another state freely?

Generally, yes. He's out on bail, right? A court could put restrictions on the movement of a criminal defendant, but I don't think there's much reason to do that as long as the court is reasonably confident that they'll show up for court dates. And I don't think there's much reason to doubt that in Collins's case.

[Pyperkub]

Duncan Hunter indicted on campaign finance violations today as well as Collins. This indictment includes this gem:

$1528 in 82 Steam purchases by the Hunters with campaign funds(in 2015).

I don't think Stardock's election simulator has that much DLC

[Zarathud]

During the Steam sale?

[Sepiche]

Duncan Hunter indicted on campaign finance violations today as well as Collins. This indictment includes this gem:

$1528 in 82 Steam purchases by the Hunters with campaign funds(in 2015).

I don't think Stardock's election simulator has that much DLC

That averages 18.63 per purchase. That's some good bargain hunting!

[malchior]

He probably is just a Paradox and Railroad Simulator fan. That amount probably nets about 5% of the available DLC

[Defiant]

Duncan Hunter indicted on campaign finance violations today as well as Collins. This indictment includes this gem:

$1528 in 82 Steam purchases by the Hunters with campaign funds(in 2015).

I don't think Stardock's election simulator has that much DLC

That averages 18.63 per purchase. That's some good bargain hunting!

Nah, the real bargain hunters buy via bundles for much cheaper than that.

(Of course, less than a quarter of the games they buy they actually get around to playing, but they're very cheap!)

[Pyperkub]

He probably is just a Paradox and Railroad Simulator fan. That amount probably nets about 5% of the available DLC

Or he could have been JetFred

[Pyperkub]

Duncan Hunter's wife flipped:

The wife of Republican California Rep. Duncan Hunter changed her plea from not guilty to guilty in a San Diego court Thursday, admitting that she and her husband misused more than $200,000 worth of campaign funds for personal gain.

Margaret Hunter admitted in court that she and her husband used the funds "as their personal bank account," according to the US attorney's office. She pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, for which there is a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

As part of the new plea agreement, she is also required to help in the investigation of her husband and any others involved in her crimes. The Republican congressman, who has also been indicted, has not changed his not-guilty plea.

[Isgrimnur]

Politico

GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter showed no emotion in the courtroom when he pleaded guilty to misusing campaign money in San Diego on Tuesday.

Outside federal court, the California congressman declined to say when he would leave office.

Prosecutor Phil Halpern noted Hunter’s honorable service in the Marine Corps and his place in a family that has been a Southern California political dynasty. But he had a sharp rebuke for the congressman’s claim that the investigation was a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
...
Halpern vowed to seek a prison term for Hunter of at least a year, although his plea agreement calls for up to five years.

Hunter, 42, changed his not guilty plea Tuesday. He had denied wrongdoing for more than a year.

He gave a brief statement outside court saying he failed to properly monitor campaign funds.