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When Brett Kavanaugh moved away from the father of a Parkland shooting victim after attempting to shake his hand, many people wondered exactly where the Supreme Court's candidate stood for laws on gun control.
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On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, discusses Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at her office prior to a private meeting in Capitol Hill, Washington. Collins was targeted by the Democrats hoping that the centrist Republican will vote against the judge's appointment.(Photo: AP)
WASHINGTON – Monitoring group calls on Justice Department to investigate a number of groups that they say are exerting illegal pressure Senator Susan Collins will get her vote against Brett Kavanaugh, the choice of the Supreme Court of the President. Collins says she sees the effort – an online crowdfunding effort by groups that threaten to use the money against Collins if she votes for Kavanaugh – as an attempt to bribe her for the vote.
Collins is one of two potential swing votes on Kavanaugh and appears to be at the center of the nation's division on Trump's second highest court candidate. The Republican from Maine reported receiving calls and threatening letters as well as more than 3,000 hangers as a reference to the dangerous and illegal abortions that abortion advocates say would follow the end of Roe v.
But it is the online crowdfunding campaign of three groups of activists that has sparked concerns of corruption. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Confidence (FACT) announced in the United States that it was sending a letter to the Justice Department on Thursday asking it to investigate groups that raised more than $ 1.2 million for go to Collins.
"I think it's one of those things where it's very obvious that an outside influence is being used to try to bribe a congressman," said Kendra Arnold, FACT's executive director. . "We expect from them that they act on the basis of merit, and it is pretty clear, no matter where you rely politically, that it is absolutely an issue." act of corruption and corruption. "
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Collins said she also considers the crowdfunding campaign to be an attempt at bribery. More than 40,000 donors have contributed to this effort, which pledges not to be charged if Collins votes against Kavanaugh.
"I consider this fundraiser to be the equivalent of a bribery attempt to vote against Judge Kavanaugh," she told the conservative Newsmax website. She also told the the Wall Street newspaper that two lawyers told him that the campaign violated the federal law on corruption and a third said that it was extortion.
The four-page letter, which was sent to USA TODAY, will be sent to Brian Benczkowski, who heads the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. The letter asks not only that the three groups raise funds to oppose Collins, but also that the webpage on which people are donating be removed.
The crowdfunding campaign is led by Be A Hero Team, Maine People's Alliance and Mainers for Leadership. They say that the corruption charges are false and that the first amendment protects them.
Jonathan Berkon, a partner in the Perkins Coie political law group, defended the crowdfunding campaign and said the federal law protects the groups.
"Thanks to this popular effort, Mainers makes it clear to Senator Collins that she will beat her to be reelected if she defies the will of the people and votes to confirm Judge Kavanaugh," he said in a statement. "The first amendment guarantees their right to do it.And the federal law protects their right to pool their funds now, when enthusiasm is at its peak, so their campaign against a holder It is shameful that Republicans use false legal threats to stifle this popular enthusiasm. "
Marie Follayttar, co-director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, called the allegations "worst policy".
"Susan Collins' idea of attacking an effort by 35,000 small donors as corruption is politics at worst," said Follayttar. "Thousands of people are desperately trying to tell her that she needs to protect access to abortion and critical health care coverage across the country by voting" no "on Kavanaugh."
However, the FACT indicates in the letter that any money promised to a public official is illegal if "the payments are made in exchange for an explicit promise or commitment on the part of the official to perform or not to perform an official act ".
Arnold stated that she had never seen a campaign like this in the hope of deflecting the opinion or vote of an elected official.
"I think this is one of the reasons why it is imperative that the Justice Department look into this issue," she said. "It would be a huge mistake to try to ignore something like this that seems almost unprecedented."
Despite the pressure, Collins and his team say aggressive tactics to influence his vote are a useless effort.
"Corruption will not work on Senator Collins," Collins spokeswoman Annie Clark told USA TODAY. "Senator Collins will decide on the merits of the appointment, and threats or other attempts to intimidate her will not play a role in her decision-making."
Contributor: Will Cummings
There are five senators who could make or break the candidate of the Trump Supreme Court. Eliza Collins reports.
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