We can hope, anyway.
A new legal fund for Sen. Ginny Burdick has taken in $5,000 in contributions to help the Portland Democrat pay her legal expenses in connection with election law violations. The fund was created under a 2007 law passed by the Oregon Legislature.Portland attorney Mark Cushing, trustee for the fund, asked lobbyists to contribute this year, noting that Burdick had more than $15,000 in attorney fees from a recent campaign-finance violation case.
Donations in the past three months included $1,000 each from the Oregon Medical Association and RPD Co. Inc. of Salem, and $750 from the Oregon State Firefighters Council.
Other donations were $500 each from lobbyist Dave Barrows, venture capitalist Debi Coleman, and the Oregon Business Association and the Oregon Optometric Public Affairs Council; and $250 from lobbyist Mark Nelson.
Burdick, who is running for re-election, agreed earlier this year to pay $3,092 in civil penalties for 11 violations of laws prohibiting the converting of campaign money to personal use.
So she gets to collect and use lobbyist contributions to cover her personal expenses, and then when found guilty of breaking the law by doing that, she gets to ask for, collect and use lobbyist contributions to pay for the lawyers who kept her out of jail.
Its like giving a drunk driver a larger, faster vehicle and free kegs.
Found at Some Poor Schmuck
In case you had a nagging feeling that you’d heard her name before, you have: she’s the chief sponsor of all the anti-gun legislation that makes it into the legislative hopper each bi-ennium. She’s also the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
BTW, on a related topic, I saw one ad for a minor (D) candidate that used a Halloween-fright-movie style, in black and white, claiming that the GOP opponent supported keeping the “gun show loophole”.
Interesting, because it might be a trial balloon for Sen. Burdick. If Obama wins, she will probably try to “close the gun-show loophole” here in OR, which, despite being heavily (D)onk, is NOT hoplophobic.
Tick, Tick, Tick….goes the timer.
Perfect example of how corrupt and broken the political system is in this country, doncha think?
Time to oil a gun or two. It’s cathartic.