{"id":28378,"date":"2022-02-02T19:34:52","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T19:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=28378"},"modified":"2022-02-02T19:34:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T19:34:52","slug":"who-funds-your-local-sheriff-report-raises-new-campaign-finance-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2022\/02\/02\/who-funds-your-local-sheriff-report-raises-new-campaign-finance-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Who funds your local sheriff? Report raises new campaign finance questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ArticleBody__context_widget___3kuGm9 ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__medium-grey____X3zmS Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__extra_small___3GR_6R Body__base___25kqPt Body__extra_small_body___3WRdPM ContextWidget__disclaimer___sI_LJg\">The company and law firm names shown above are generated automatically based on the text of the article. We are improving this feature as we continue to test and develop in beta. We welcome feedback, which you can provide using the feedback tab on the right of the page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-0\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">(Reuters) &#8211; An inherent conflict of interest arises from many political donations to sheriffs around the country, including from medical providers and bail bond companies doing business with them, according to a new report by watchdog group Common Cause.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-1\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Common Cause and Communities for Sheriff Accountability, a prison reform coalition, examined campaign finance reports from 2010-2021 provided by a sample of sheriffs in 11 different states, including in Massachusetts, Louisiana and Maryland. They found that about 40% of all examined contributions, or more than $6 million dollars in donations, created a potential conflict of interest and incentivized incarceration in order to increase profits.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-2\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The groups examined a portion of the more than 3,000 sheriffs offices around the country &#8212; in part because of their &#8220;oppositional&#8221; approach to public information requests. The selection criteria means those offices are &#8220;more likely to represent a pattern than exceptional cases,&#8221; Common Cause said in the report.<\/p>\n<div class=\"RegistrationPrompt__container___1zFX4Y RegistrationPrompt__inline___1dXxON ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs ArticleBody__mobile-only___2w_rXL\">\n<div class=\"RegistrationPrompt__text-content___2uMAHH\">\n<h5 class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__white___2ncio9 Text__medium___1ocDap Text__heading_5___3obGkm Heading__base___1dDlXY Heading__heading_5___3VJIV0 RegistrationPrompt__heading___wc_GPj\">Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com<\/h5>\n<p><button class=\"Button__button___3FFWBE Button__secondary___jc-Lu5 Button__round___1BK77J TextButton__container___32tQxA RegistrationPrompt__button-text___3ZNlNC\" type=\"button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__inherit-color___30vgWE Text__bold___2wRTrQ Text__default___1Xh7Yh TextButton__medium___1vp1Wy\">Register<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-3\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The apparently conflicted donations came from a range of businesses, including construction companies that build jails, telecommunications companies eager to provide data and telephone service in those facilities, and representatives of legal firms that represent sheriffs\u2019 offices on misconduct cases. The contributions aren&#8217;t necessarily unlawful, but that&#8217;s only because many states&#8217; conflict of interest and ethics laws are woefully inadequate, according to the groups.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-4\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The eye-opening report highlights gaping loopholes in campaign finance regulation and other public oversight mechanisms for sheriffs \u2013 elected politicians who often fly under the radar, despite the tremendous powers and important responsibilities of their office.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-5\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">A spokesperson for the National Sheriffs\u2019 Association didn\u2019t respond to questions and a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-6\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Keshia Morris Desir, mass incarceration project manager at Common Cause, told me that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/CC_PaidJailer_WEB_FINAL.pdf\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">The Paid Jailer<\/a> report, which was released in January, \u201ctries to shine a light on a blind spot in efforts toward criminal justice reform.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-7\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">\u201cWe\u2019re really trying to call attention to this issue because we usually only think about the police department when we talk about law enforcement reform, even though sheriffs are actually elected officials,\u201d Desir said.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-8\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Roughly 90% of the 3,000 sheriffs in the U.S. are white men, according to the report. What&#8217;s more, decisions of those offices aren&#8217;t as visible as policy emanating from other politicians&#8217; offices; qualified candidates are almost always subordinates of the incumbent; and the average tenure of a sheriff is estimated at 24 years, according to a 2018 law review article by James Tomberlin, now an attorney at Latham &amp; Watkins in D.C.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-9\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">They make arrests, run the local jails, and handle civil enforcement, from conducting evictions to providing gun permits and even enforcing mask mandates.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-10\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Corporations big and small tend to see sheriffs as the head of a major bureaucracy, with lucrative potential, according to the Common Cause report.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-11\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Tulane University Law School professor Janet Hoeffel wrote in a 2015 law review article that those offices are able to command resources and grow &#8212; much like any other government bureaucracy.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-12\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">For sheriffs in particular, \u201cthe bigger the jail or the office, the larger the contracts the office has to give out,\u201d Hoeffel wrote. \u201cThese valuable contracts for food, laundry, plumbing, electrical, and the like further create vested interests that seek to protect and enlarge the status quo\u201d \u2013 in this case, more arrests and incarceration.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-13\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The opportunities for graft are well illustrated in some striking recent examples.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-14\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Philadelphia\u2019s longest-serving sheriff was <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-edpa\/pr\/former-philadelphia-sheriff-john-green-sentenced-five-years-prison\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">sentenced<\/a> to prison in 2019 for accepting bribes and personal benefits for nearly a decade in exchange for channeling more than $35 million in contracts and fees on foreclosed homes to a particular businessman. A chief legal advisor to the current sheriff retired last year, after the Philadelphia Tribune reported that the office issued a similar illegal contract to an online auction company.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-15\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The Santa Clara County Sheriff\u2019s Office is under a civil rights investigation for \u201cdeeply concerning allegations relating to conditions of confinement in its jail facilities, resistance to lawful oversight, and other misconduct,\u201d the California attorney general\u2019s office <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-opens-civil-rights-investigation-santa-clara-county\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> last month. The Santa Clara Sheriff&#8217;s Office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-16\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The investigation was spurred by the indictments of several top officials in relation to an alleged scheme involving the exchange of campaign contributions for concealed carry weapons permits, a local NBC News affiliate reported in August 2021.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-17\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">And, the founder and CEO of a company that&#8217;s now the largest jail healthcare provider in the U.S. \u2013 the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/idUSL1N2HG0MD\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">scandal<\/a>&#8211;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/doj-report-exposes-failures-jail-reform-measures-2021-09-09\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">plagued<\/a> Wellpath \u2013 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-edva\/pr\/co-conspirator-former-norfolk-sheriff-pleads-guilty-bribery-scheme\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">will be sentenced<\/a> this month for a 13-year bribery and pay-for-play scheme involving the former sheriff of Norfolk, Virginia.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-18\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Those revelations point to a system \u201cincentivized to jail more people and cast a blind eye to any harm suffered by those within the jails,\u201d according to Common Cause.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-19\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Indeed, a special <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/doj-report-exposes-failures-jail-reform-measures-2021-09-09\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">investigation<\/a> by Reuters in October 2020 showed that jails with private healthcare have four more deaths per every 10,000 inmates compared to publicly run facilities.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-20\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">The groups\u2019 study found that \u201c[b]usiness interest can establish a relationship with sheriffs by sending even small contributions,\u201d noting dozens of direct contributions to sheriffs\u2019 campaigns from bail bonding businesses that were under $3,000.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-21\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Desir, at Common Cause, told me campaign finance reporting systems across the country are so varied and poorly run that some sheriffs\u2019 offices responded to inquiries with handwritten lists of their political contributions. The Common Cause report includes a series of important policy recommendations, including restricting contributions to campaigns from individuals and entities that conduct or seek business with the state or city.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-22\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">\u201cThe reason we studied this is that sheriffs control really large swaths of the mass incarceration system, including in immigration, and they make major decisions about the health and safety of millions of incarcerated people,\u201d Desir said. \u201cBringing attention to their offices presents an opportunity to strengthen disclosure laws and make other reforms to improve campaign financing\u201d for these powerful, publicly elected officials.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"paragraph-23\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">(Opinions expressed here are those of the author. Reuters News, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence and freedom from bias.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"RegistrationPrompt__container___1zFX4Y RegistrationPrompt__inline___1dXxON ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">\n<div class=\"RegistrationPrompt__text-content___2uMAHH\">\n<h5 class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__white___2ncio9 Text__medium___1ocDap Text__heading_5___3obGkm Heading__base___1dDlXY Heading__heading_5___3VJIV0 RegistrationPrompt__heading___wc_GPj\">Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com<\/h5>\n<p><button class=\"Button__button___3FFWBE Button__secondary___jc-Lu5 Button__round___1BK77J TextButton__container___32tQxA RegistrationPrompt__button-text___3ZNlNC\" type=\"button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__inherit-color___30vgWE Text__bold___2wRTrQ Text__default___1Xh7Yh TextButton__medium___1vp1Wy\">Register<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__large___1i0u1F Body__base___25kqPt Body__large_body___3g04wK ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">Our Standards: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/about-us\/trust-principles.html\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__large___1i0u1F Link__underline_default___MkI7S8\" rel=\"noopener\">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ArticleBody__element___3UrnEs\">\n<address class=\"AuthorBio__author-card___TqpN3V horizontal\"><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"AuthorBio__author-image___1NeA9Y\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/authors\/hassan-kanu\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"AuthorBio__author-info___2ltx6T\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"author noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/authors\/hassan-kanu\/\" class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__medium___1ocDap Text__heading_6___m3CqfX Heading__base___1dDlXY Heading__heading_6___1ON736 AuthorBio__name___3tO7AY\">Hassan Kanu<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__text___3eVx1j Text__dark-grey___AS2I_p Text__regular___Bh17t- Text__small___MoVgdT Body__base___25kqPt Body__small_body___28Cxon AuthorBio__description___1QuwyK\">Hassan Kanu writes about access to justice, race, and equality under law. Kanu, who was born in Sierra Leone and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, worked in public interest law after graduating from Duke University School of Law. After that, he spent five years reporting on mostly employment law. He lives in Washington, D.C. Reach Kanu at hassan.kanu@thomsonreuters.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/address>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/who-funds-your-local-sheriff-report-raises-new-campaign-finance-questions-2022-02-02\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] The company and law firm names shown above are generated automatically based on the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learningtheory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28380,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28378\/revisions\/28380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}