Another purely political witchhunt appropriately swatted down

[Adam]

Judge Calls Secret Wisconsin Probe A Threat To First Amendment

A federal judge yesterday ordered a halt to a secret investigation into conservative groups supporting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, saying the probe presented a greater threat to the public than the corruption it was trying to ferret out.

In a 26-page ruling that follows closely the reasoning of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions eviscerating regulations on political speech, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa said the “John Doe” investigation initiated by Democratic Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisolm into the Republican governor’s supporters had morphed into “a long-running investigation of all things Walker-related.”

Randa acknowledged the need to root out quid pro quo corruption and said it’s possible rich contributors might give to supposedly independent groups as a way of soliciting favors from politicians. But he didn’t budge an inch from his view that the way to root out corruption is to expand political speech, not to regulate it.

“The larger danger is giving government an expanded role in uprooting all forms of perceived corruption which may result in corruption of the First Amendment itself,” he said. “It is a recognition that maximizing First Amendment freedom is a better way to deal with political corruption than allowing the seemingly corruptible to do so.”

The main target of the investigation was the Wisconsin Club for Growth — which critics say is a vehicle for anonymous donations from right-wing business executives like Charles and David Koch — and Club For Growth Director Eric O’Keefe. Left-wing groups invariably describe O’Keefe as a “longtime Koch operative,” or words to that effect, because he’s been associated with organizations Koch is suspected of giving money to and was a director of the Libertarian Party during David Koch’s forgettable run for vice-president in 1980. Charles Koch, of course, defended his anonymous giving to 501(c)(4) groups in an interview with me in in December 2012, saying he’s regularly targeted with death threats and threats to blow up Koch Industries facilities.

Also here, here, and here.

The ruling.



In short, the court has slammed the door on yet another case of the Left attempting to use the force of law through the threat of prosecution to shut down speech it doesn't like. No different from the IRS' and DOJ's own attempts to do the same on the federal level.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

In other words:

1. Power corrupts (gee, what a surprise!).

2. The checks and balances worked as they are supposed to do.