In a striking example of political double standards, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton received a mere slap on the wrist from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for misreporting payments during the 2016 campaign.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump now faces potential felony charges for similar actions. The FEC fined Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) after an investigation revealed they had obscured payments made to law firm Perkins Coie. This firm contracted with Fusion GPS to create the now-infamous Steele Dossier, a document later used against Trump during his first impeachment.
Clinton’s campaign classified payments to Perkins Coie for opposition research as “legal services,” resulting in a $113,000 fine. On the other hand, Trump is under scrutiny for allegedly mischaracterizing payments made to his attorney, which were then paid out to porn star Stormy Daniels as hush money, as legal fees. While Clinton was handed a fine, Trump faces the possibility of an indictment over similar charges.
The Post Millennial points out that Clinton’s campaign paid for false information creation, which was used in an attempt to unseat the president from the White House. In contrast, Trump sought to keep a relationship private. Manhattan’s District Attorney Alvin Bragg requested Trump to appear before a grand jury last week, which he declined. Bragg is reportedly upgrading the misdemeanor charge of false reporting to a felony, aiming to prove that Trump intentionally committed a second crime, likely related to election fraud.
The FEC stated that by obscuring payments through Perkins Coie and not disclosing the true purpose of those payments, the Clinton campaign and DNC avoided reporting on their FEC disclosure forms that they were paying Fusion GPS for opposition research on Trump to influence the 2016 presidential election. Clinton paid a civil penalty of $8,000, and the DNC paid the remaining $105,000.
This week, reports suggest that Trump is likely to be indicted. However, a spokesperson for Trump, Steven Cheung, criticized Bragg’s investigation as a “witch hunt” and accused Bragg of being influenced by President Biden and “radical Democrats.” Cheung argued that Trump is completely innocent and emphasized that Democrats have attacked Trump since before his election without success.
As the investigation unfolds, it’s crucial to question the fairness of the legal system when it comes to political figures. Why is one party treated with leniency while the other faces serious consequences for similar actions?
It’s essential to hold all individuals accountable for their actions, regardless of their political affiliations, to ensure that justice is served fairly and without bias.
Sources: ConsevativeBrief, AP News, The Post Millennial, FoxNews