May
2006
Scott Jensen Deserves Hard Time
This week, convicted felon and former Republican Speaker of the Assembly Scott Jensen will be sentenced for using state employees who were on the clock to campaign for his partisan pals. Our criminal justice system is broken and a light sentence for Jensen would serve to magnify how broken that system is.
Recently, Republicans screamed that 4 Democratic activists who slashed the tires of GOP operatives should have the book thrown at them. Most of the dems got 5 or 6 months. If the dems, who in the heat of the moment, slashed the tires of GOP vans are getting 5 months, it would be insane if Jensen got less than 2 to 4 years. Jensen spent years misusing tax dollars to further his partisan goals — a scheme that stole tons of money from Wisconsinites.
The dem activists crime was essentially undone after the vans were quickly replaced within hours.
Jensen used his position to change the partisan makeup of the State Asssembly over a period of several legislative terms and at very least an entire decade since his work positioned him to control legislative redistricting.
Both crimes are inexcusable, but what is worse? A crime that adversely affected our democratic process for two hours or a crime that will likely adversely affect our democratic process for two decades?
To allow Jensen to spend less time in prison than the activists who slashed the tires would be criminal but hopefully the Judge will not reward Jensen for what amounts to a politically heinous crime. One way or another, Jensen will get what he wanted — an Assembly with legislative districts he was able to help draw. Those lines will last for over a decade. A light sentence would be like allowing a thief to keep his loot after a burglery.
This is not to say that Jensen is a threat to society but hopefully the Judge will also consider adding onto his sentence a requirement that he not work legislatively or with legislators for a long time. If he does not, Jensen will be able to march into legislators offices and remind them that they owe their political success to him and they should support the causes his clients want them to support. To not include that proviso would send a message that a double standard is acceptable and that justice is not blind.
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UPDATE: Jensen got 15 months.
Related Stories:
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan, Watchdogging Criminal Justice, Watchdogging Wisconsin
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For doing the lion’s share of turning Wisconsin’s squeaky clean politics into something resembling Illinois, 20 months is not enough.
Sorry to sound vindictive, but I hold a soft spot for what we were and have hatred for what we’ve become.
Jensen only got 15 months. The judge sent a message today that if you want to corrupt the political system, you’ll only have to pay with a slap on the wrist.
It should have been a minimum of 2 years.