September 12, 2007

Cooper On the Hot Seat

Happily, My prediction earlier today that the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance wouldn't go after state Sen. Jerry Cooper for diverting $95,004 from his campaign fund to his personal account will not come true as TREF voted to investigate. Details from the Associated Press and the City Paper. The latter reports that Cooper could face a huge fine:

The evidence of the transfers, which occurred between Dec. 1999 and Nov. 2001, were submitted in a federal fraud trial against Cooper, which he was ultimately acquitted. Although the alleged violations may have occurred just between 1999 and 2001, the statute of limitations, which was 180 days for a campaign finance report, does not apply in this case, said Drew Rawlins, the executive director of the Registry of Election Finance.

"We're not talking about a report at this point," Rawlins said. "We're talking about the potential personal use of campaign funds."

Also, Rawlins said state attorneys have advised him that if Cooper is found to have used campaign funds for personal use, he could be punished up to $10,000 for each check. There were 24 checks that were allegedly transferred.

Cooper should be fined at least $95,004 - and, preferably, the maximum - $240,000. And the TREF must make sure Cooper doesn't pay the fine out of his campaign account.

The City Paper says Mark Brown, a spokesman with the Senate Democratic Caucus, declined to comment because it was an ongoing investigation.

Also, because Cooper's a Democrat and they don't want to lose him and risk losing the seat.

Meanwhile, a question: Isn't skimming money from one's campaign fund and putting it in your personal account a crime? Doesn't it amount to embezzlement? Didn't Cooper, essentially, defraud his campaign donors?

If what Cooper did doesn't violate any criminal statutes, the statutes need to be updated. For, certainly, taking campaign funds for personal use is an egregious violation of the trust that his donors placed in him.

Someone who would do what Cooper did has no business being in the state Senate.