Senate Republican leader Lou DeLuca should resign, sparing himself and the Republican Party unnecessary grief. Any politician who has been the subject of a bribe attempt and who has not reported the attempt to the proper authorities should resign his or her office.
That is true of DeLuca, and it is also true of the Democrat Party's earmark king John Murtha, still parceling out favors years after he had been swept up in the notorious ABSCAM case.
Both DeLuca and Murtha were targets of bribe attempts made by agents interested in gathering evidence against them in criminal probes. Both refused the bribes but did not report the bribe attempt.
Since DeLuca fessed up to prosecutors, suggestions have been made in some quarters that DeLuca himself is mob connected, and his claim that he brought pictures to police showing his grand daughter had been brutalized by an ex-con boyfriend also has been doubted.
The question whether DeLuca's grand daughter was indeed brutalized by an ex-con is of a different order. If DeLuca had lied about bringing pictures to police authorities -- he said he was told that the police could do nothing unless he victim reported the crime -- very likely he would have been charged with additional counts. So, it's reasonable to believe that DeLuca's account, at least in this respect, was true.
But turning for help to a man who possibly is mob connected is not only stupid -- though desperation does drive men to such extraordinary measures – it is criminal. On a human level, DeLuca’s behavior is understandable, but some penalty beyond acknowledgement and repentance is necessary in this case.
Men who make laws for others should not themselves violate laws with impunity.
That is true of DeLuca, and it is also true of the Democrat Party's earmark king John Murtha, still parceling out favors years after he had been swept up in the notorious ABSCAM case.
Both DeLuca and Murtha were targets of bribe attempts made by agents interested in gathering evidence against them in criminal probes. Both refused the bribes but did not report the bribe attempt.
Since DeLuca fessed up to prosecutors, suggestions have been made in some quarters that DeLuca himself is mob connected, and his claim that he brought pictures to police showing his grand daughter had been brutalized by an ex-con boyfriend also has been doubted.
The question whether DeLuca's grand daughter was indeed brutalized by an ex-con is of a different order. If DeLuca had lied about bringing pictures to police authorities -- he said he was told that the police could do nothing unless he victim reported the crime -- very likely he would have been charged with additional counts. So, it's reasonable to believe that DeLuca's account, at least in this respect, was true.
But turning for help to a man who possibly is mob connected is not only stupid -- though desperation does drive men to such extraordinary measures – it is criminal. On a human level, DeLuca’s behavior is understandable, but some penalty beyond acknowledgement and repentance is necessary in this case.
Men who make laws for others should not themselves violate laws with impunity.
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