Official: Bill Clinton shaking hands does not violate election law

[riversedge]

Source: cnn






By Jason Hanna, CNN

Updated 8:26 PM ET, Tue March 1, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

Story highlights

Bill Clinton stumped for his wife's presidential campaign in Massachusetts on Tuesday -- including inside a polling place
The secretary of the commonwealth's office said shaking hands alone isn't prohibited

(CNN)Election officials in Massachusetts say no official complaints have been filed against former President Bill Clinton, who was spotted Tuesday shaking hands with those inside a Boston polling station.
.........................

Stumping for his wife's presidential bid, Clinton met with voters and election workers at Holy Name Parish School's gymnasium, according to pool reports.

Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, says shaking hands alone isn't prohibited. Explicit campaigning is what's banned within 150 feet of a polling places.

"Just meeting people doesn't constitute campaigning," McNiff told CNN. "We received no information that anything like that happened."
...............

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politics/bill-clinton-campaigning-polling-place-super-tuesday/index.html

[dchill]

1. Preventing voters from entering the polling place IS illegal...

and that is what the SS did. Watch the tapes.

[iAZZZo]

2. "Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of the commonwealth of Massachusetts"

another adroit post sans analysis; did op bother to read link from cnn?

"Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of the commonwealth of Massachusetts": legal capacity for official state of massachusetts spokesperson suspect as entity omitted acknowledgement of 1) bill clinton's bullhorn usage as well as, 2) enuniciating his wife's name more than once

[JDPriestly]

5. Compare Bill Clinton's vague gobbledy-gook apple pie in the sky dreams with Bernie's

down-to-earth, realistic and specific proposals.

Hillary's campaign is a travesty, and Bill Clinton was way out of place campaigning at that time in that place.

This should be investigated and the facts should be determined.

Hillary only won by 1% in Massachusetts.

http://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections/

That was within the so-called margin of error, very close. How many votes the difference was, I do not know. Might be interesting to find out.

[TexasTowelie]

27. According to the Boston Globe:

Hillary Clinton - 588,590 (50.3%), Bernie Sanders - 568,378 (48.5%) with 96.92% reporting so there is a margin of about 20,000 voters.

Considering that approximately 20,000 Democrats switched their registration to Republican due to the Trump surge, I believe that had far more impact than Bill Clinton showing up at the polls. It is also difficult to say that all of those that changed their registration would have aligned with the Sanders camp since it could just as easily be a 50-50 split.

From the Boston Herald:

The Massachusetts Secretary of State sent a gentle reminder to Hillary Clinton’s camp today — neither former President Bill Clinton, nor anyone else, can campaign at the polls today.

“We received some complaints that he was campaigning, and the office reminded the campaign that state law prohibits campaigning within 150 feet of a polling place,” said Brian McNiff, spokesman for Secretary of the Commonwealth, William F. Galvin.

The former president was on the road today in the Bay State, shaking hands at polls at several stops. However, no evidence was presented that he was actively campaigning at the polls, and just being there isn’t enough to run afoul of Massachusetts’ election laws.

“Going into a polling place to shake hands, that’s not considered campaigning,” McNiff said. “There was a big crowd around when he did come, and I think people were upset at that. But campaigning is not simply being in the place.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/2016/03/mass_elections_official_warns_clinton_camp_no_stumping_in_polls

[Madmiddle]

31. They are calling for his

ARREST AS We SPEAK!!

[madfloridian]

3. Baloney, he wasn't just shaking hands. He and the mayor held a rally outside the polling place.

[iAZZZo]

6. "he wasn't just shaking hands. He and the mayor held a rally outside the polling place."

on point madforidian

current governor of massachusetts and former us president flount/contravene state law

'nuff said yet msm/cm remain silent.................

[retrowire]

11. Exactly. MSM is horseshit and this needs more attention.

#GTFOBill anyone?

[Milliesmom]

14. I seen a picture of that

[rpannier]

4. I would disagree, but I'm not with SoS in Mass

His being there as the spouse of one of the candidates; inside a polling area not outside; when he's not a registered voter of the state much less the precinct should be a violation

His presence should be treated as a form of campaigning
I did the polling station in California in the 80's a few times and the law said that non-precinct voters were not to be in the polling area during election time unless they were doing business of the California Secretary of State or helping the physically challenged.
Were that California, I would guess his presence would qualify as a flagrant violation

[iAZZZo]

8. "His presence should be treated as a form of voting"

"His presence should be treated as a form of voting"

can we have former president carter and his voting equity rights surrogates from around the world weigh in on this assertion?

[rpannier]

9. My bad

My computer slowed down, had issues, I got distracted and screweed that part up
I meant campaigning and have fixed
Thanks

[iAZZZo]

15. "My computer slowed down, had issues..."

cool, ok. sorry if post was offensive. didn't mean to be

(off topic) bounce a linux flavor(i.e. distro) on your box/laptop and delays will be long gone

[Gene Debs]

12. Was Jimmy Carter glad-handing voters inside the polling place during Rosalynn's run for President?

[dchill]

7. To be fair,

McNiff is only enumerating things Clinton did that are NOT illegal. Right now, shaking hands is all he's got in that column.

[retrowire]

10. tongue in fucking cheek

teeheehee, Hillary's infamous husband would in NO WAY cause people to think OF Hillary while in the voting booths! Being around the powerful husband of a candidate would in NO WAY cause someone's mind to wander!

I'm not saying the essence of Bill would change votes, but it would have an effect on the mind, especially to an undecided. "I didn't know who I'd vote for, but I did meet Bill! and golly he was swell! I bet Hillary is too!"

*facepalm* I don't care. It just makes me lose more respect for the Clintons.

[NanceGreggs]

13. Official!!!

Bernie lost Massachusetts. The only possible reason is that HRC & Co. somehow lied, cheated, stole, and/or engaged in untoward political shenanigans.

Reports that MA went for Hillary because voters prefer her to Bernie were immediately dismissed as totally unbelievable.

"There must be some other explanation," opined a source 'close to the Bernie campaign' who is 'in a position to know'.

[iAZZZo]

16. non-responsive post (inline op) placed on temporary ignore (n/t)

[NanceGreggs]

18. No, a response actually right on point ...

... with the OP.

Oh, it's a night of celebrating with wild abandon - why not put me on permanent ignore? It's something both of us can enjoy.

[iAZZZo]

19. "why not put me on permanent ignore? It's something both of us can enjoy."

taking your advice

luv it

[NanceGreggs]

21. Thanks!!!

[blackspade]

37. Winning does not give her a pass on electioneering.

[Bassomar]

17. Of course hillary supporters are defending this ... SMD

[billhicks76]

20. No Shame

[billhicks76]

22. Republicans Win 2016 Is The Headline CNN Just Predicted

Because the are having new voters sign up by the tonnage. Democrats are having none other than Bernie supporters. It still won't be enough if we have a status quo candidate. People are over and done with the status quo amongst independents. More republicans than democrats are it seems also even though it's split 50/50 in the our party. When a Trump can get away with anything including anti-republican statements then the status quo candidate will lose. Sucks but it's true.

[videohead5]

24. So Losing The Supreme Court

Does not matter to you? the right for people to marry who they love does not matter to you? Roe V Wade does not matter to you? Obamacare being repealed does not matter to you?

[Beowulf]

32. Do these issues matter to you?

I question how much. If they did matter to you, you would hitch your wagon to a candidate that didn't carry so much baggage, so many negatives, and is under investigation of the FBI.

[videohead5]

53. I will support Bernie

If he is the nominee I bet you will not say the same for Hillary?

[Chicago1980]

23. I remember Trump walking into a caucus place in Nevada last week.

That wasn't against any election rules or laws.

Did Bill Clinton shaking hands somehow prevent 20,000 additional people from voting for Senator Sanders in Massachusetts?

[ericson00]

25. time to show honour to the party heroes

and so basically, I wouldn't even care if this were some "violation of the law," which its obviously not.

[Justice]

26. MA SOS said no violation -these polling places in Boston are always CRAZY crowded

[Geronimoe]

28. New Bedford

There are videos of New Bedford. The polling place remained closed for hours, waiting for the Mayor and Bill Clinton to show up. Bill had his blow horn and was giving a stump speech.

[liberal N proud]

29. Look, you are not going to convince these people otherwise

They are in an echo chamber and only hear what they want to hear and can make anything out of nothing. But turn the tables on their candidate and look out, they will become even more victimized.

All that left is the singing, just some have not realized that yet.

[Freaked Out]

34. Echo chamber? Excuse me.. there's VIDEO of Bill's blatant electioneering

No dynasties for me, and she's still facing the spectre of an indictment for her unprotected server with highly classified files in it.

[bkkyosemite]

30. He mentioned Hillary in his fancy bullhorn! Blocked people for two hours

from voting and I'm sure some had to leave which disenfranchised them.

[Freaked Out]

33. Yes it does, it's called electioneering

and it should be blatantly obvious.

MA should remove the results at New Bedford and those polling station that Bill screwed around with, to show impartiality.

The thing is MA's delegates got nearly split again.

[blackspade]

35. McNiff apparently doesn't watch the news.....

Being prevented from voting is a violation.

[Vinca]

36. Why do I think Jane Sanders would have been told she was breaking the law?

[tk2kewl]

38. I never needed a megaphone to shake someones hand

[Darb]

39. "Bullshit, he rigged Massachusetts"

says........................

[ellennelle]

40. give me a frikkin' break

i did visibility for bernie yesterday before i voted, and forgot to remove my button. i was asked to do so, and my buddy was told he'd have to remove his bernie cap. totally fair.

compare and contrast: bill clinton is THE most recognizable HRC visibility symbol on the planet, and he gets a pass???

not only showing up, but his presence there halted the entire enterprise, voters were forced to wait outside, and there were long lines.

so, give me a frikkin' break.

this is yet another case of the clintons waltzing right up to the edge of legal (depending on what the meaning of "is" is), relying always on the letter of the law and farting in the face of its spirit.

as lawyers they both know the ethical requisite of avoiding EVEN THE APPEARANCE of impropriety! yet they both repeatedly violate it.

what i also do not get is how it is that this sort of thing would drive hillary supporters up the wall if bernie's wife had done it (not even the same thing, tho, as no one knows what she looks like), and certainly would be up in arms had ivanka made such an appearance, and did the glad-handing and selfies.

i mean, give me a frikkin' break, people.

[Earth_First]

41. First, he shook hands with a megaphone to announce he'd be shaking hands inside... nt

[Bradical79]

42. Does this count as a strawman argument?

It seems like you're arguing against something that didn't happen. No one said Bill Clinton shaking hands is a crime, because that is very clearly not what he did.

[uhnope]

43. what an ASSHOLE. Ex-presidents usually stay out of elections--he's fucking one up. WTF go home Bill

[whistler162]

54. New rule I guess

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4307 - Truman for Kennedy

- Ike for Goldwater

[uhnope]

55. keep digging into the pretty far off past

for the exceptions that prove the rule. (thx for the Goldwater reminder. Hillary Rodham was a "Goldwater Girl," right?)

Sorry but he's really being an asshole, & proving that desperate ambition is the defining characteristic the Clintons.

[riversedge]

44. rec

[KPN]

45. Lol! What a load of crap!

The Democratic Party primary is rigged in every conceivable way. "Just meeting people doesn't constitute campaigning." Hahaha -- then why the hell do candidates spend the majority of their time during a campaign doing exactly that?! Too much!

But not to worry! Bernie's just now coming into his own. He isn't going anywhere -- and stands a substantially better chance of winning than he did just 48 hours ago. His mmentum is building again. Watch out DNC and Clintons!

[brooklynite]

49. You know that the Secretary of the Commonwealth is a Republican, right?

[Phlem]

46. Complete BS. Unrec!

It was against the law. Funny how the laws interpretation changes for certain supporters.

[Yupster]

47. This is hardly a life or death matter, but

it is outrageous.

Everyone knows you don't electioneer near the voting booths. I was on line for an hour and I was chatting with the people near me in line and we all stayed completely away from topics of the election. People just know that.

This just plays into the idea that there are two sets of rules in the US. One for you and me and one for the Clintons.

[Arazi]

48. So someone there has to file a complaint. Anyone know anyone? Eom

[polly7]

50. He was blabbering on with a bullhorn and mentioning Hillary's name.

What was he talking about, her exercise routine? And he wasn't 150 feet away.

[desmiller]

51. riversedge listens to corporate media and condones Clinton's illegal act.

check and check.

[redstateblues]

52. When Bernie loses a close one there is always

Some excuse other than not getting enough votes. The Mass loss has to really hurt.