Justice for Wayne
Bryant
From thnt.com on the
Web, January 25, 2008
Score one for the state Election Law
Enforcement Commission, which refused on Wednesday to allow former state Sen.
Wayne Bryant to use campaign cash to defend himself against federal corruption
charges.
The panel was unable to find any circumstance under which the use of campaign
funds for such a purpose was permissible; the rules make it clear that political
donations can't be used by anyone for personal or business reasons.
Besides, campaign donors certainly never envisioned their money might be used
for any reason other than the election of a candidate, least of all for an
allegedly corrupt politician to free himself from a legal noose.
Bryant's alleged crimes can only be classified as personal dealings; it
naturally follows that Bryant should use his personal fortune to defend himself.
The ruling also prevents other elected officials who are indicted from tapping
their own election reserves — money given freely by political supporters for the
sole purpose of advancing their views — as a get-out-of-jail card.
Speaking of the allegations against Bryant, the Camden County Democrat faces a
20-count indictment for steering millions of dollars in grants to two state
schools in exchange for several no-show jobs. His legal defense would have
drawn on a $642,500 campaign war chest he managed to amass during his 25 years
of serving his own needs ahead of the public's. The Democrat and former
chairman of the Senate budget committee also piled up various public jobs to
triple his taxpayer-funded pension.
Bryant is now on his own, but his actions have proved that has always been the
case. The difference this time is he, not the public, will have to pay the
piper.
What could be more just?
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