The See-No-Evil Supreme Court by Bloomberg

[Mr. Sparkle]

The See-No-Evil Supreme Court

June 29, 2016 8:30 AM EDT By Editorial Board

The best way to reduce corruption, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, is to define it so narrowly that no one can be found guilty of committing it.

On Monday, the court unanimously tossed out a verdict reached by a Virginia jury finding former Governor Bob McDonnell guilty of improperly assisting vitamin salesman Jonnie Williams. Williams lavished McDonnell and his family with $175,000 in money and gifts, including $15,000 for his daughter’s wedding and $10,000 for another daughter's engagement. McDonnell helped Williams by convening meetings, hosting receptions and pestering his staff for updates about Williams's business requests.

Never mind. According to the court, McDonnell may have acted lawfully. Federal law makes it a crime for a public official to “receive or accept anything of value” in return for being “influenced in the performance of any official act.” But the court has been defining deviancy down for politicians and influence peddlers. Two years ago, in a case involving campaign contribution limits, it defined governmental corruption as acts involving a quid pro quo: “a direct exchange of an official act for money.” Now the court has decided that a lot of what elected officials do all day is not, ahem, “official.

more ... http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-06-29/the-see-no-evil-supreme-court

[PoliticAverse]

1. It was an 8-0 decision...

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/15pdf/15-474_ljgm.pdf

[DirkGently]

2. Basically, public corruption now means

a dated, geotagged photo with a big cartoon bag of money being simultaneously exchanged for a clearly legible signed piece of legislation.

Short of that, who knows why the scam-pill peddling entrepeneur spontaneously handed over a Rolex some public official's wife mentioned he wanted?

It could be ... COINCIDENCE!