Teen charged with Felony for selling vote on eBay

A 19-year-old Minneapolis man is charged with a felony for offering to sell his vote in the presidential election on eBay.

The Hennepin County attorney's office charged Max P. Sanders on Thursday. Sanders was not immediately arrested. A telephone number for him was not available. The criminal complaint says the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office learned about the offering on the Web auction site and told prosecutors.



NEWS SOURCE
www.kare11.com.../HQiB0e2tz/k%3D

He should go to jail, just for being stupid! 30 days in jail, and community service of being a Poll worker on election day.

The right to vote is not something you mess with.

reply to post by RRconservative


I disagree with you. I do not think someone should go to jail over something like this. There is no victim, it was done just for fun, or money, and who's justice would be served by sending this young fellow to jail at the taxpayers expense? The right to vote is important, but in this case not worth jail time. Maybe a fine or probation.

Originally posted by RRconservative
...community service of being a Poll worker on election day.

Good idea! Also, learn and read their websites, of all his elected officials, plus write essays on the current presidential candidates, after studying their websites and their party's websites to study their platforms.

reply to post by bakednutz


Why is it considered acceptable for a politician to 'benefit' from a lobby group and vote in their favour on a bill or amendment in parliament/senate in return, but not for a private citizen to do the same with their vote?

Yeah but there is more too it. By selling your vote, you are selling your identification to someone else as they are claiming to be you and voting.

reply to post by amatrine


from the OP's link..

..couldn't decide who to vote for the presidential election. He offered to let the highest bidder decide for him.

there's nothing about fraudulently selling a voting identity, just the choice of candidate to whoever pays the most...which brings me back to the question as to why it is a felony for a citizen, but not a politician to do so

[edit on 3-7-2008 by citizen smith]

reply to post by bakednutz


selling your vote should be like selling your right to being a citizen in the USA, let them sell it and deport them.

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by bakednutz

 

Why is it considered acceptable for a politician to 'benefit' from a lobby group and vote in their favour on a bill or amendment in parliament/senate in return, but not for a private citizen to do the same with their vote?

Damn you beat me to it star for you. Or here is another angle... what is the difference between a candidate promising to give you all sorts of this and that at taxpayers expense for your vote and a person who says just give me your money direct and Ill vote for whoever.

Well I think all politicians should get at least 30 days in jail and community service for trying to buy votes.

Outrageous that this guy got arrested, more people should do the same.

I sent an e-mail to the county prosecutor asking them about the "great" question raised in this thread:

Why is it considered acceptable for a politician to 'benefit' from a lobby group and vote in their favor on a bill or amendment in parliament/senate in return, but not for a private citizen to do the same with their vote?

It would be nice to see their response. I probably won't get one until next week because of the holidays.

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by bakednutz

 

Why is it considered acceptable for a politician to 'benefit' from a lobby group and vote in their favour on a bill or amendment in parliament/senate in return, but not for a private citizen to do the same with their vote?

This is a great question. In my opinion it is not ok for politicians to be doing this and it should be outlawed. It corrupts politicians and prostitutes the government. This practice will never be outlawed though because just about every politician is involved in someway shape or form and what corrupt politician is going to take away all those sweet benefits they are recieving from these lobbyists? Sad yes, illegal, not exactly.

This young man has violated the law and is now being charged for doing so. While you and I may not agree with it, the law should be upheld until changed. Should he get charged with the felony? No. Should he be granted a stay of ajudication or something similar and given probation or fined for this? Yes. Bottome line is that the law needs to be upheld.

Originally posted by mattguy404

Outrageous that this guy got arrested, more people should do the same.

You're just saying that so you sound radical and un-predictable (predictably so) in the face of the law-courts and their reasonings for why they do the things they do.

I don't think that this is very outrageous at all, and that it should be applied to politicians (AND CORPORATE LAW) in future, as you suggested.

Your posts are usually filled with self-contradiction, have you noticed?

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


Contradictions? I didn't realize people were paying that much attention to me.

I mean to say, the guy probably has done something minor. People have tried to sell babies on eBay, and god knows what else. If more people sold their vote on eBay, then the authorities would be overwhelmed and/or eBay would have to scrutinize their listing practices more closely to avoid people being arrested for selling such things.

It was a lighthearted suggestion, I don't expect anyone to do it. I haven't started any petitions or picketing anywhere to demand that people do so.

I'm definitely not radical. I usually try to bring both sides to an argument, which can always give rise to contradictions.

Nevertheless I'll try and tone-down whatever radicalism I am displaying, and I duly await notification from the moderators of any un-sanctioned radicalism I have been rampantly expressing.

Here is the latest from foxnews.

Max P. Sanders, 19, was charged with a felony Thursday in Hennepin County District Court after allegedly asking for a minimum of $10 in exchange for voting for the bidder’s preferred candidate. “Good luck!” Sanders wrote under the eBay handle zepdrummer612. “You’re (sic) country depends on You!”

Sanders was charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting under an 1893 state law that makes it a crime to offer to buy or sell a vote.

The scarcely used law had its heyday in the 1920s, when many people sold their votes in exchange for liquor, Assistant County Attorney Pat Diamond said. Diamond said he believed his office responded appropriately in charging Sanders, a liberal arts major from Edina.

SOURCE
elections.foxnews.com...

Mod Edit: External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 7/4/2008 by Gools]

The word moral may be hardly adequate in this situation but it specifically describes the heart of this issue. Its a moral issue to me. I believe voting is a right, responsibility and an obligation to the American citizen. Too much blood and mud have been spilt over time in order that we are assured this democratic entitlement.

This individual broke a law plain and simple. This public act on nonsense would not have happened 20 years ago because the technology was readily accessibe to the average college student.

The teen was remorseful only after his lawyer coached him, "It was only a joke.", he stated. I personally believe he should be punished to the full extent of the law and made an example of because he broke the law. Cheers and thank you...

I'm getting tired of the e-bay "weird item for sale of the week."

This kid obviously was hoping this would make the local news, and work it's way up to national news, and eventually get an outrageous bid for big bucks! If a piece of toast can get big bucks, why not a vote?

He wrote on his description page “You’re (sic) country depends on You!” and I noticed he was a liberal arts major! That makes sense!

Throw the book at him!

I find it remarkable what we prosecute and don't prosecute in this country. Everyday our elected officials find new and better ways to show they lack any common sense and understanding on today's issues.

Selling his vote on ebay...what about the trillions of dollars spent over the last 50 years by politicians that sold their vote to lobbyist and special interest groups, or the hundreds of billions of dollars lost on the war in Iraq...these are the true crimes perpetrated by those that should be in jail...selling his vote on ebay...well at least his vote was worth something.

reply to post by citizen smith


I was thinking the same thing!

Especially when I read this part of the article!

Mpls. teen charged with offering his vote on eBay

"We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote," said John Aiken, a spokesman for the office. "There are people that have died for this country for our right to vote, and to take something that lightly, to say, 'I can be bought.'

Can we start prosecuting ALL the politicians in Washington now?



[edit on 7/4/2008 by Keyhole]