Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Gerrymandering Scandal Exposed

In the past week, some of the sordid details behind the reprehensible gerrymandering stunt foisted upon Wisconsin voters by the Republicans were uncovered. Even back when the gerrymandering was finally made public, local Republican officials called the stunt unethical.

Earlier this week, it was learned that money-loving voter-hating Republicans again violated open meeting laws and had signed a pact to keep the truth behind the gerrymandering a secret while they had a whole different set of talking point to feed the public.

Just days later, it was learned that the two GOP operatives legislative aides, Tad Ottman and Adam Foltz, who had worked with the Republicans private law firm, Michael Best and Friedrich, while drawing up the maps and the secret talking points, were still working out of those offices, more than six months after the maps were approved by the Republicans,even though they're collecting their paychecks from the taxpayers.

To help put things into perspective of just how they were lying through their teeth and sticking to their secret pact, watch this video:



I am starting to come to the mind that simply removing these cretins from office is no longer a sufficient solution. These actions are going beyond dirty politics to crimes against the state and against the people. These people need to see justice and be truly held accountable for their crimes.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks, I have a lot of questions about this story. How can a law firm, filled with "officers of the court," charge for what's essentially trying to take away voter rights?

    I would like to know how MBF billed these hours. What "service," did they claim they were providing to their client?

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  2. Wisconsin Public television explained how one lawmaker said they were shown 2 maps, one "good" for them, one "bad" for them so they would go along with this. While it isn't right for lawmakers to go along, this idea that they were bribed into going along sounds very unethical, is it criminal?

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  3. 8:16, thanks.

    IANAL

    It sounds like this was billed as advice for "administrative law?"

    The confidentiality agreement makes it sound as though Michael Best & Friedrich acted with a "guilty mind" ("mens rea").

    They knew they were accepting tax payer dollars to do something illegal and they wanted to hide it.

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  4. I have 20 bucks that says Ottman and Foltz are fundraising out of MBF offices.

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    1. You know, you just might be on to something there.

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    2. So all their communications from the attorney's offices are covered by privilege? That was the plan wasn't it?

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  5. When will these guys stop outsourcing at taxpayers' expense? Bills are drafted at ALEC; not in the Capitol, MB&F personnel draw up our district maps. Legislators don't represent their own constituents but "ignore" the public or refuse to respond to reporters or met with the public. They act like they've never heard of treaty rights and tell native Wisconsinites they're lucky to get a seat at the table to discuss the gutting of mining regulations in their backyard. We're locked out of the Capitol, excluded from giving public testimony...tell me again, why do we pay these guys for their "public service"

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    Replies
    1. This stops for the individual perps when
      their fat asses are rotting in jail cell.

      No cellphones allowed. Oh and won't it be fun when they are on the other end of the dropped soap jokes.

      Make no mistake about it, one side will throw the other in jail before it's done. Make sure its the crooks that do the time.

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