FollowUp 20: Wisconsin Republican Dirty Tricks

While federal law and Wisconsin law both prohibit buying votes, Mr. Mitt Romney and Mr. Paul Ryan probably did not violate the law today.  According to the latest articles, they did not require proof of voting or promises to vote in exchange for the sandwiches that they were giving away in Waukesha today.

Update, 2:30 p.m. Tuesday: The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is alleging that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan committed election bribary by offering "subs-for-votes." Patch will have more updates about their accusations as soon as more information is available.

Original: Mitt Romney was handing out sub sandwiches to voters in Waukesha, courtesy of Cousins Subs, with Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, who has stuck by Romney’s side while he has been campaigning in Wisconsin. Romney handed voters turkey subs while Ryan handed them the ham sandwiches.

Later, the pair encouraged the crowd to get out and vote. They also took the chance to criticize President Barack Obama as Romney is the likely winner of the GOP nomination.

Several details are important or moderately interesting.  Waukesha is one of the three most Republican counties in Wisconsin (the other two being Brown and Washington Counties).  It is also one of the wealthiest counties in Wisconsin.  Handing out free subs there to encourage people to vote in the Republican primary is not very different from encouraging them to keep breathing.  It's a nice touch, but probably not necessary.

I will skip all of the obvious jokes about one being a ham and the other a turkey.  Too many and too obvious.

Channel 3000 notes that giving anything worth more than one dollar in exchange for voting is a violation of Wisconsin state law.  While the Democrats have, properly, filed a complaint, I doubt it will go far.  The description is that of handing out sandwiches without a commitment in exchange.  Nonetheless, this is the sort of activity that has the appearance of impropriety ... dirty tricks.

16 November 2011, Original Pedantic Political Ponderings post.
30 November 2011, FollowUp 1.
4 December 2011, FollowUp 2.
11 December 2011, FollowUp 3.
14 December 2011, FollowUp 4.
15 December 2011, FollowUp 5.
30 December 2011, FollowUp 6.
13 January 2012, FollowUp 7.
17 January 2012, FollowUp 8.
25 January 2012, FollowUp 9.
2 February 2012, FollowUp 10.
9 February 2012, FollowUp 11.
12 February 2012, FollowUp 12.
18 February 2012, FollowUp 13.
22 February 2012, FollowUp 14.
6 March 2012, FollowUp 15.
12 March 2012, FollowUp 16.
16 March 2012, FollowUp 17.
30 March 2012, FollowUp 18.
31 March 2012, FollowUp 19.

4 April 2012, FollowUp 21.
11 April 2012, FollowUp 22.
14 April 2012, FollowUp 23.
17 April 2012, FollowUp 24.
21 April 2012, FollowUp 25.
29 April 2012, FollowUp 26.
2 May 2012, FollowUp 27.
6 May 2012, FollowUp 28.
10 May 2012, FollowUp 29.
13 May 2012, FollowUp 30.
23 May 2012, FollowUp 31.
24 May 2012, FollowUp 32.
30 May 2012, FollowUp 33.
2 June 2012, FollowUp 34.
4 June 2012, FollowUp 35.
5 June 2012, FollowUp 36.