Summary:
The mayor Governor of Missouri, Eric Greitens, has been charged with two felony charges: one for
data tampering to help fund his campaign, and another for the invasion of privacy for taking and
possessing a revealing picture he took of a woman with whom he had an affair. Prosecutors claim that
Greitens illegally used a fundraising list from his personally-founded military veterans charity, The
he had an affair claims that he took the photo without her consent, that Greitens used it to blackmail
her, and that he physically and verbally abused her. Greitens has admitted to the affair, but not to any
other claims. His trial for the charge regarding the revealing picture is set to start on May 14, directly
preceding the special session that will start on May 18. To begin the impeachment, “the Missouri
House would vote first, requiring a simple majority. The process would then move to the Senate,
where state lawmakers would name a panel of seven jurists to try the impeachment. Those judges
would ultimately decide whether to convict Greitens” (CNN article linked below).
Analysis:
I think this somewhat relates to the MeToo movement that sparked with the Weinstein accusations.
Sexual predators are finally being held accountable for their actions, including Greitens. The CNN
article mentions how none of his fellow Republicans have been eager to defend him for either of his
felonies, which definitely says something… sometimes silence is what speaks the loudest. One felony
is enough for me to question the legitimacy of any kind of government official, but two? One being
sexual harassment? Get Greitens out of there. Also, taking from a foundation one’s own foundation
doesn’t make it okay.
Questions:
1) Do you think jail time would be justified for Greitens? Or would you want to see a harsher or
softer sentence? Why or why not?
2) If this investigation makes it to a court of law, do you think he will be “let off easy” or will the
mallet come down on him because of his position as governor? Why or why not?
Sources:
The Mission Continues homepage (also linked in the summary)
5 comments:
The efforts of the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate are admirable. Here's why it probably won't come to fruition, and here's why that decision will have negative consequences for the party as a whole. The entire narrative in the coming months all hinges on wether the Missouri Legislature is willing to buck their party loyalty or not.
See, the Chief Executive of Missouri is a republican. The senate majority is republican. The house majority is republican. The chief executive is wracked with scandals, including a sex scandal and improper conduct during the campaign. Does this scenario remind anybody of any other scenario? It should. However, in the other scenario (which I won't name), the house and senate refuses to challenge the chief executive for the sake of party loyalty. We have to see if the culture of national politics in regards to party loyalty will affect the inner workings of Missouri state politics.
I agree with half of what Granger said in regards to the efforts that Missouri is going to is admirable (grammar sorry). The second paragraph on the other hand is not totally agreeable. I think this because the Missouri government wants to leave this scandal behind and regardless of what party a majority of the government is in.
I think that if Greitens is found guilty of all these offenses, I would support a harsher sentence. Like other governors who have committed such acts, he should likewise face the punishment for his actions (which also include fraud). And I do actually think that the governor could face harsh punishment because as we've seen, such behavior is not at all respected by anyone. However, Granger and Gabby do bring up a good point because there are also a number of factors that would make life easier if he was let off easy.
I think that he deserves the harder sentence because he has been charged multiple times. Also, I am glad that the harassment towards women has been recognized and that people are making sure that they take accountability for their horrible actions. Additionally, while he is a governor, I think that it should not impact the results of a case. People may have concerns with that as he is well known and possibly has connections in government. However, I agree with Kamal, as he should face harsher punishments as he is a public figure and needs to follow the law just like every other citizen.
If he is found guilty for his crimes, I'd hope that he would get a harsher punishment. It's irritating that many politicians are able to sleaze their way out of jail time or punishment through power, money, or blackmailing. It would be heartening and would send a strong message to other corrupt individuals if he was actually punished for the crimes that he committed. I agree with Kamal and Allie, he should be held accountable for his actions like any other person. However, if this investigation does go to court, I do not think he will be punished severely. While many politicians are being caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and are paying for it, it still seems that harsh punishments aren't going around. He still might be able to weasel his way out of jail time, simply because his power as a governor and his party affiliation. If he is punished harshly it will be a pleasant surprise.
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