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Did the Obama Campaign Violate Lottery Laws? [Also, were winners really picked at random?]
The Husaria: For Our Freedom and Yours ^ | 7/19/08 | Winged Hussar 1683

Posted on 07/19/2008 12:23:36 PM PDT by Winged Hussar

Were the winners really picked at random? One winner was announced before the entry deadline!

WorldNetDaily reported recently that the Obama campaign was contacted by Minnesota's Department of Public Safety with regard to a fundraising solicitation that could be construed as an illegal lottery. The E-mail, which we also received, seems to contain the three elements that constitute a lottery:

1. Payment of consideration (a monetary donation)

2. An element of chance

3. A prize (all-expenses paid trip to the Democratic National Convention and a personal meeting with Barack Obama

While we are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, this could well have been illegal until the Obama campaign, under pressure from Minnesota law enforcement, added a method of entering without payment of a donation. The changes the campaign made were at best cosmetic, perfunctory, and the minimum necessary to avoid actual trouble with law enforcement.

The E-mail in question was not, however, the first of its kind from the Obama campaign. We have on file two others, both of which seem to contain all the elements of a lottery that requires payment for a chance to win. Furthermore, the wording in the second suggests that not every entrant had an equal chance to win.

(Excerpt) Read more at husaria.wordpress.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008dncconvention; bhussein; dinner; lottery; obama

This could demolish Obama's credibility with his own supporters and donors, so please circulate it as widely as possible. It could in fact end his campaign.

Pay close attention to the content of the second E-mail that we posted from the Obama campaign.

Last week we started planning our second dinner, and on Friday evening at 6:42 pm, a woman named Dorothy Unruh of Lakewood, Colorado made a donation.

I’m pleased to announce that Dorothy will be one of my guests for the second dinner. You could join us if you make a small donation before 11:59 pm tonight, July 31st:

That's very interesting: the Obama campaign says it selected a winner before the deadline for entries, which raises the question as to whether every donor had an equal chance of being chosen. If so, it could end Obama's credibility with his own donors and supporters, and it will be all over for him.

Question: does anyone know whether sweepstakes (e.g. Reader's Digest, requires no payment of consideration to enter) are audited by third parties to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to win? If so, was Obama's "sweepstakes" so audited?

1 posted on 07/19/2008 12:23:37 PM PDT by Winged Hussar
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To: Winged Hussar
Answer: Yes, likely to be an unlawful lottery.

Reaction from Main Stream Press and the Federal Election Commission: (....sound of crickets....)

2 posted on 07/19/2008 12:25:38 PM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: SERKIT

Laws must not be allowed to stand in the way of “progress”.

/s


3 posted on 07/19/2008 12:28:25 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Wonder how much overseas money is coming in...


4 posted on 07/19/2008 12:44:17 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
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To: Winged Hussar

Yes Yes and Yes.

His scampaign was contacted by officials at several states over a week ago. They promised to make changes. I saw no changes to the rules or solicitation of pay for play on his website this week.

And now that they are selecting people before the deadline has been reached, well draw your own conclusions.

The states were quick to hope on to criticize his scampaign the day after the promotion was announced but a week later they have dropped the ball and I am unaware of a single state moving forward with prosecution.

Run your own lottery and continue to do so after being contacted by state officials and see how long YOU get to keep at your grifting game...


5 posted on 07/19/2008 12:44:50 PM PDT by weegee (Obama loves America like Bill loves Hillary.)
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To: Sacajaweau

Over $1.5million in quasi-legal foreign contributions (who is making sure that they are ALL American citizens abroad?)


6 posted on 07/19/2008 12:45:38 PM PDT by weegee (Obama loves America like Bill loves Hillary.)
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To: Winged Hussar

I get all the DNC emails (I read them then take my morning shower) I’ve been getting the donate and go back stage, donate an get tickets, donate and .......

I keep forwarding them to the SS’s office and the gaming commission.

I don’t think he can do that here.


7 posted on 07/19/2008 12:50:33 PM PDT by JMJJR (Now you KNOW why we're called the stupid party !)
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To: Winged Hussar
"Live" hosted image from the Obama scampaign site:

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

"MAKE DONATION OF $5 OR MORE AND YOU COULD JOIN BARACK AT THE OPEN CONVENTION".

There is no CHANGE. They are still running an illegal solicitation.

8 posted on 07/19/2008 12:51:55 PM PDT by weegee (Obama loves America like Bill loves Hillary.)
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To: Winged Hussar
Someone (Freeper, GOP person, etc.) needs to send a contribution so they have STANDING as an aggrieved party.
9 posted on 07/19/2008 1:18:32 PM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: AmericaUnited

Sue and then turn it into a class action lawsuit covering all who donated.


10 posted on 07/19/2008 1:20:31 PM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: AmericaUnited

Re: “Sue and then turn it into a class action lawsuit covering all who donated.”

Any lawyers want to weigh in on this?

One attorney filing a highly publicized class action suit over this issue could probably end Obama’s campaign within weeks.


11 posted on 07/19/2008 1:27:10 PM PDT by Winged Hussar (http://moveonpleasemoveon.blogspot.com/)
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To: Winged Hussar; AmericaUnited

I hope we have a FReeper Lawyer weigh in on this. Sounds like something worth pursuing, IMHO.


12 posted on 07/19/2008 1:49:28 PM PDT by LibertyRocks (My Blog - http://libertyrocks.wordpress.com & NEW http://exposingobama.wordpress.com)
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To: weegee

Down at the bottom there is a link to participate without a donation. I wonder if it has to be more pronounced to go along with gaming laws though. In all the contests I’ve ever seen there is always a phrase in bold that appears - something to the effect of NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN etc...


13 posted on 07/19/2008 1:53:22 PM PDT by LibertyRocks (My Blog - http://libertyrocks.wordpress.com & NEW http://exposingobama.wordpress.com)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Barrister ping :)


14 posted on 07/19/2008 4:30:01 PM PDT by upchuck (As we doggedly march towards dystopia, my poor country is losing it's mind. God help us!)
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To: SERKIT
Answer: Yes, likely to be an unlawful lottery.

Reaction from Main Stream Press and the Federal Election Commission: (....sound of crickets cockroaches....)

Fixed it for you

15 posted on 07/19/2008 5:08:23 PM PDT by Solitar ("My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." -- Barry Goldwater)
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To: Winged Hussar
Dorothy "Unruh" made a "donation"

Whatcha bet that Dorothy is not a White American?

Par for the course from a Chicago mob political machine.

16 posted on 07/19/2008 5:12:01 PM PDT by Solitar ("My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." -- Barry Goldwater)
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To: LibertyRocks

“Down at the bottom there is a link to participate without a donation.”

This was not provided in the first two such solicitations.


17 posted on 07/19/2008 6:34:41 PM PDT by Winged Hussar (http://moveonpleasemoveon.blogspot.com/)
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To: Winged Hussar

democrats are immune from silly laws.


18 posted on 07/20/2008 4:12:31 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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