Left Attacks Susan Collins over Kavanaugh: Possible Bribe Attempts, Threats to Rape Staff

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 21: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh meets with Sen. Susan Co
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Ken Klukowski
Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC – Leftwing activists are attacking Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), threatening that if she votes to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court they will give $1 million to her competitor, which could violate federal law. The attacks got even worse, however, including one leftist threatening to rape someone on Collins’ staff.

These attacks are creating a backlash, both in media coverage and with colleagues such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) rallying to Collins’ defense. Senate Democrats, however, are strikingly silent so far on these attacks.

Kavanaugh continues on a smooth path to confirmation despite the Senate being only 51-49 Republican. Thirty years ago, Kavanaugh would have been confirmed almost unanimously, in an era where arch-conservative Antonin Scalia was confirmed 98-0 in 1986, and arch-liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed 96-3 in 1993. But in today’s toxic political environment, Kavanaugh is expected to be confirmed with few if any Democrats, meaning that his final tally will be somewhere in the 50s.

As such, the left is desperate to peel away a couple Republicans in a Hail Mary attempt to derail President Donald Trump’s nominee for the nation’s highest court. Specifically, liberals are focusing most of their firepower on Collins, who will be up for re-election in liberal-leaning “purple state” Maine in 2020.

Opponents of Kavanaugh are going after the four-term senator. Some of these attacks are mere annoyances, such as profanity-laden phone calls. Another example is sending 3,000 coat hangers to her office, perpetuating the falsehood that even if Roe v. Wade were someday overruled, abortion would become illegal and women would use coat hangers to perform abortions. (Instead, abortion regulations would become a matter for states to decide, and women would still be able to obtain abortions either in their own state or in neighboring states.)

But other tactics are rougher, and some even illegal.

Leftists created a crowdsourcing website, asking people to give their credit card information, with the message, “Your card will only be charged if Senator Susan Collins votes for Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.”

According to the site, $1 million would then be given to Collins’ Democratic opponent in her next election. The site has already hit that $1 million mark, from at least 37,000 donors.

This financial scam could violate up to three federal laws.

First, it could be a bribe, which federal law defines as “corruptly” offering a public official “anything of value” to “influence any official act.” Here, the quid pro quo is they are offering to refrain from giving a $1 million to defeat her in exchange for voting against the nomination.

Second, it could be extortion, which is generally defined as seeking to obtain something by threatening someone regarding money or the use of force. Here, they are attempting to obtain a senator’s vote through a monetary threat.

Third, it could be a violation of campaign finance laws. Under current law, no U.S. citizen may give a candidate for federal office more than $2,700 in a primary election, plus another $2,700 in the general election. It is illegal for any noncitizen or any corporation to give any money directly to a candidate.

Former Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky of the Federal Election Commission tells Breitbart News:

The Maine groups that have raised $1 million for an anonymous political opponent of Sen. Collins if she votes for Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation are potentially violating federal campaign finance laws if they are exceeding contribution limits and not informing donors who the money is going to. They may also be coming close to the line when it comes to federal bribery statutes, given that they are offering Collins a quid pro quo….

Some of these tactics are not only illegal, but morally reprehensible. One caller threatened to rape one of Collins’ staff members. That phone call has been referred to law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution.

Senators are also weighing in.

“The harassment campaign from the far Left against Susan Collins – including threats of sexual violence against her staffers and potential illegal bribery – is truly shameful,” tweeted Cruz in support of Collins, “and shows the desperation of the radicals to try to stop the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. It won’t work.”

“Every Democrat should be condemning these antics in Maine,” tweeted Hatch, who is also the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. He continues that “attempting to bribe Senator Collins to vote against Judge Kavanaugh and threatening sexual violence against staffers if she votes for him is absolutely disgusting.”

“Senate Democrats need to join their Republican colleagues in condemning these disgraceful and illegal acts,” former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell tells Breitbart News. “This has gone from shameful to intolerable, and voters will call Democrats to account if they do not denounce these attempts.”

“Instead of condemning the outrageous tactics of Judge Kavanaugh’s opponents, and announcing their support for an objectively extraordinary nominee,” says Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), “Sens. Manchin, Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill, and Nelson are standing on the sidelines while Judge Kavanaugh’s opponents resort to bribes, smears, and physical threats.”

As of the time this story was filed, not a single Democratic senator had condemned these actions.

Ken Klukowski is senior legal editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski.

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