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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAt what point can the Republicans be charged with RICO over voter suppression?
The Republican Party has been involved in a concerted effort to commit voter suppression in numerous states. It dawned on me today, should groups like the NAACP, ACLU, etc. be starting to shout from coast to coast that what the Republicans are doing does constitute RICO. DU members who are lawyers - is this a valid way to look at what is happening or am I just dreaming?
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows for the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them, closing a perceived loophole that allowed someone who told a man to, for example, murder, to be exempt from the trial because he did not actually do it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organizations_Act
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)rather than being obsessed with busting pot-smoking grannies.
Yes, in theory the voter suppression,registration fraud, and election fraud could be bundled as a continuing criminal enterprise by the GOP under the RICO Act. It threatens the very foundation of our democracy. However, sadly it appears to be at the bottom of AG Holder's priority list.
IDoMath
(404 posts)nc4bo
(17,651 posts)Kicking that can down the road will continue to bite us in the arse.
For some reason, it's just not that important.