Posted on 06/15/2004 5:39:30 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
An anti-immigration group is accusing Utah Rep. Chris Cannon of soliciting illegal campaign donations from undocumented immigrants during an appearance on a Spanish-language radio station.
The accusations come just a week before the June 22 primary election, where Cannon is being challenged by former state Rep. Matt Throckmorton for the Republican Party nomination in Utah's 3rd Congressional District.
A partial transcript of the program -- which aired May 22 on station KBJA 1640 AM -- was provided by Salt Lake attorney Steve Staker, who provided it to The Tribune at the request of ProjectUSA, one of several national organizations actively opposing a Cannon-sponsored immigration reform bill. The group says the bill goes too far with an "amnesty" provision.
No tape was made by KBJA, according to Claudia Redd, co-host of the "We the People" program on which Cannon appeared.
Cannon, who was on the show with a member of his staff, Marco Diaz, appears to violate three federal election laws: soliciting donations from "foreign nationals," seeking contributions from minors and asking undocumented immigrants to donate through a legal citizen, according to Staker.
In the transcript, Diaz says "if you are undocumented you must find, we welcome this money, but you have to find someone who is legal in order to donate money."
Later, Cannon is asked by host Jose Elibardo Rivera if "citizens who are minors can donate money?" He responded: "Again. . . . The minor children of citizens, yes they can donate."
Diaz adds: "Very good! I hadn't thought of that! But if your child is a citizen, you can donate in the name of your child. The only thing that you need is, is to be a citizen. Many of you, perhaps, have children who are citizens."
Cannon spokesman Joe Hunter said the transcripts were a "last resort" effort by Throckmorton to influence the primary.
"First of all, it is more than a little interesting that suddenly this transcript is being distributed very aggressively a week before the election," said Hunter. "It's a clear sign of a campaign whose message isn't working -- therefore you resort to 'gotcha' politics."
He added that the partial transcript did not put in context the whole program.
"If one looks at the entire program -- and unfortunately we don't have a tape of the entire program -- you can see Chris Cannon went to extraordinary lengths to make sure listeners understand what the law is," he said.
Throckmorton, who received copies of the transcripts last week, said he was consulting his attorneys and would consider making an announcement whether he would file a complaint as early as Wednesday.
"In all things I want to give the benefit of the doubt, but my gut is telling me this is 100 percent wrong," Throckmorton said. "He's crossed the line."
This guy needs to be taken out. Where are the smoky back rooms and heavy handed political bosses when we need them? Liabilities, 3rd way underminers and other fragmentation invoking forces need to be purged systemically from our ranks.
I can't imagine that, but I'd need to research. It's time for chrissie to leave. I just can't imagine what happens to otherwise fully cogent conservatives who go to DC. Damn straight argument for term limits.
It's just a shame. Cannon was one of the stand-up guys on the House committee during impeachment. If he's defeated by Throckmorton, he will leave office with a 7-year cumulative ACU of 96. And all because he apparently went insane on this very hot-button issue. What was the man thinking?
On local radio, every pro-amnesty illegal-immigration activist is calling in saying that Cannon deserves a chance to prove his innocence and that he just means well. He's got all those slugs fighting on his side, that ought to tell you something right there.
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