Posted on 08/15/2008 8:40:49 AM PDT by coffee260
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5188
Washington, DC
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it is launching an investigation into a nationwide effort by a liberal activist group to intimidate supporters of Republican and conservative causes. According the August 8 edition of The New York Times, Accountable America, a liberal group, plans to send a letter “to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions…The warning letter is intended as a first step, alerting donors who might be considering giving to right-wing groups to a variety of potential dangers, including legal trouble, public exposure and watchdog groups digging through their lives.
The group is also hoping to be able to respond if an outside conservative group broadcasts a television advertisement attacking Senator Barack Obama, or another Democratic candidate, by running commercials exposing the donors behind the advertisements.”
Attempts to intimidate individuals from participating in the presidential campaign can be a violation of federal law. A key federal civil rights law (42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)), popularly known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, may be applicable if “two or more persons conspire to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy in a legal manner, toward or in favor of the election of any lawfully qualified person as an elector for President or Vice President, or as a Member of Congress of the United States; or to injure any citizen in person or property on account of such support or advocacy.”
“Threats and intimidation have no place in our democratic elections and are a violation of the law. This new front group, Accountable America, seems to have crossed a legal line,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
That is all Judical Watch does is “launch” investigations and lawsuits...they neve actually accomplish anything.
The left is creating a downward spiral in politics, and everything else for that matter....
Whaddya mean? They issue press releases and send out fund raising solicitations as well.
Liberal fascism...nothing more than the forced suppression of the opposition.
However, a short while later I saw a copy of the letter that someone had posted on their website. The language used, IMHO, did not rise to the level of an attempt to threaten or intimidate. It was rather bland and boring, and as an GOP contributor you'd probably just toss it in the trash if you'd received it, rather than losing sleep over it.
I'll try to find that letter and post it here. And maybe JW has seen something here that I didn't. But this just might be a tempest in a teapot.
It sounds like one of those letters I get that makes it up the driveway and into the trash bin never opened.
I have to agree. Have they ever brought a lawsuit to any type of conclusion? I have been following Judicial Watch for 15 years or so and I don’t recall them winning any lawsuits.
Liberals always get away with it. This will be no exception....
Well, if you’re planning to take more decisive action than Judicial Watch, feel free. It’s not like Michelle Malkin could interest the ACLU.
That’s a shame to hear. Now we’ll never know what happened.
I’m not panhandling for money either. Accountable America must be shivering in their tasseled loafers at the thought of the two of us...not panhandling for money!
JW launching an investigation...it’s like farting in Gustav’s general direction to change its course....
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