Enid Santiago is once again running for State Representative. She lost in the last cycle. Like Donald Trump, she was quick to accuse everyone of election fraud. But she thinks nothing of bribing voters. Over the weekend, she published a Facebook video in which she offers a raffle ticket for a Marc Anthony concert to anyone who signs her nomination petition. This is bribery in political matters, which is a third degree felony.
Here's the law:
(a) Offenses defined.--A person is guilty of bribery, a felony of the third degree, if he offers, confers or agrees to confer upon another, or solicits, accepts or agrees to accept from another: (1) any pecuniary benefit as consideration for the decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or other exercise of discretion as a public servant, party official or voter by the recipient; (2) any benefit as consideration for the decision, vote, recommendation or other exercise of official discretion by the recipient in a judicial, administrative or legislative proceeding; or (3) any benefit as consideration for a violation of a known legal duty as public servant or party official. (b) Defenses prohibited.--It is no defense to prosecution under this section that a person whom the actor sought to influence was not qualified to act in the desired way whether because he had not yet assumed office, had left office, or lacked jurisdiction, or for any other reason.
She succeeded in having an elections judge prosecuted in the last election. What she apparently fails to realize is that the law applies to her, too
Karma.
I understand some candidates have pizza parties at petition signing events, but there is no quid pro quo.
14 comments:
Good point about some candidates offering pizza parties for petitions. Still trying to understand how some of these same folks feel offering water at the polls to people standing long lines implies a person's vote.
Quid pro quo. Is that the meaning of fire the prosecutor looking into my son or I won't give you the money? Just asking questions since it was said on video.
Our political system breeds these people.
She is just another typical politician who considers bribery does not apply to her and her team whether it is bribing her constituents or people bribing her. Bury her in the bowels of the country jail for as long as legally possible. Bury her team members in the county jail who condoned this for as legally possible. Then bring her up on federal election fraud chargers and put her in a federal prison for as long as possible.
And while we are at it we should make it mandatory that when found guilty the minimum jail time is two years per incident of actual jail time. None of this hose arrest BS or anything like that. And guilty is guilty to which the minimum applies. If other factors apply such as plea bargains or anything else a guilty can get non less then the minimum 2 years.
Ms. Santiago Just Discovered a way make some cash
" Still trying to understand how some of these same folks feel offering water at the polls to people standing long lines implies a person's vote."
I see nothing wrong with offering water or food to someone standing in line or coming to a petition signing party so long as there is no quid pro quo.
Offering food and water at the polls is very kind and considerate. It's also electioneering if done by a candidate or party. Not everything that's legal is right. Not everything that's right is legal. If you can't make it through a couple of hours at the polls without sustenance, you have a serious problem for which you should have prepared.
"Offering food and water at the polls is very kind and considerate. It's also electioneering if done by a candidate or party."
Reminds me of Darth Voter strutting around the polling place delivering coffee and donuts to poll workers. As a voter, I'd feel more comfortable if he would vote like everyone else and then be made to leave the building permanently for the rest of the day.
@11:41 if it is done by anyone who represents a party or a candidate then it should be illegal.
Here is a very interesting read from 2021:
https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/04/06/food-water-ban-polling-places/
In reality, election laws such as S.B. 202 in Georgia, which explicitly prohibits members of the public from providing food and water directly to voters, are very rare. In fact, we found only two other states, Montana and New York, that impose even somewhat similar bans. Title 13, Chapter 35, Section 211(2) of the Montana Code states that:Indeed, Montana‘s prohibition is actually less restrictive than Georgia’s, because it applies only to candidates or individuals linked to them or their campaign, whereas Georgia’s S.B. 202 states that:
“No person shall… give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector…” [Emphasis is added].
It should be noted again that Georgia’s controversial new law explicitly does not prevent a poll officer from “making available self-service water from an unattended receptacle to an elector waiting in line to vote.” However, it also does not require a poll officer to make self-service water available to voters.
In New York state, it’s prohibited to provide “meat, drink, tobacco, refreshment or provision” to a voter at a polling place, except if the retail value of what you give them is less that $1, and the person or entity providing it is not identified. So a kindhearted stranger wearing no identifying badges or clothing would very likely be legally permitted to hand out small bottles of water to voters waiting in line in New York, but the same activity is subject to a blanket ban in Georgia.
Speaking of politicians and illegal acts. What ever happened to the charges against CeCe in Allentown?
I read where a candidate was having a "free" pizza party for signing petitions. The ad said if folks cannot make it, they will come to you. Please bring original crust with everything on it.
No food or drinks around polling places. It's just more mess for people to have to clean up afterward. Can't fat Americans go 20 frickin minutes without stuffing cookies or doughnuts in their ever-fattening faces? Our obesity epidemic doesn't need more enabling. Stop with the food - from any source.
0800...THATS IT. Bring the so-called Peoples Convoy to PA to protest water at polling locations. Just make sure they fill up in PA as we need the gas tax to fix our roads and provide free police service to municiplaiites that fail to provide their own.
Enid Santiago - not fit to be dog catcher
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