Should it be legal for billionaires to bribe in exchange for endorsements?

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Both Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg have used bribery in exchange for endorsements. Should this be legal? Is this ethical? Do you have a problem with billionaires using bribery in exchange for endorsements in Presidential campaigns? Billionaires like to talk about their "resources" as a euphemism for their money. This is how Bloomberg and Steyer are using their "resources."

This is what Bloomberg did when he bribed people to be allowed to run for a 3rd term (despite term limits of 2 terms) as NYC mayor, and it is apparently what he is doing now also (though it will take time for the smoking guns to come out, it is fairly obvious that a lot of the people endorsing him will receive cash either for themselves directly as "consultants" or alternatively for causes/charities/churches/etc close to them).

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/nyregion/07doe.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/11/how-bloomberg-got-away-with-buying-new-york/347685/

[TML]

This is exactly what's wrong with the current political system - special interests have funneled millions of dollars to politicians so that they would vote for policies favorable toward them, at the expense of ordinary Americans.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Who has Bloomberg bribed to support him?

Sanders and Steyer are the two bribing for endorsements in SC:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/us/politics/bernie-sanders-tom-steyer-south-carolina.html

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Who has Bloomberg bribed to support him?

See the links. If you don't think that the same thing is happening with the endorsements that Bloomberg suddenly started getting in places like Tennessee, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Or actually, maybe I should sell it to Bloomberg in exchange for switching to supporting him.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Who has Bloomberg bribed to support him?

See the links. If you don't think that the same thing is happening with the endorsements that Bloomberg suddenly started getting in places like Tennessee, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Or actually, maybe I should sell it to Bloomberg in exchange for switching to supporting him.

Both of the links are from over a decade ago, I don't really have any context for NYC endorsements/charities and don't care enough about 2009 to dig deeper.

We have direct evidence of Steyer and Sanders bribing public officials for endorsements in South Carolina.  We have no evidence of that from Bloomberg.

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Who has Bloomberg bribed to support him?

See the links. If you don't think that the same thing is happening with the endorsements that Bloomberg suddenly started getting in places like Tennessee, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Or actually, maybe I should sell it to Bloomberg in exchange for switching to supporting him.

Both of the links are from over a decade ago, I don't really have any context for NYC endorsements/charities and don't care enough about 2009 to dig deeper.

We have direct evidence of Steyer and Sanders bribing public officials for endorsements in South Carolina.  We have no evidence of that from Bloomberg.

The law was that NYC mayors were term limited to 2 terms. Bloomberg wanted to run again, so he bribed everyone who might oppose it to change the law and allow him to run for a 3rd term, and then to support him in his re-election bid (including also bribing independent good government groups to not put up a fuss about it).

Bloomberg is doing the same thing now - it is his modus operandi. He doesn't just run ads to build support, he bribes people and organizations that stand in his way to build support.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Who has Bloomberg bribed to support him?

See the links. If you don't think that the same thing is happening with the endorsements that Bloomberg suddenly started getting in places like Tennessee, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Or actually, maybe I should sell it to Bloomberg in exchange for switching to supporting him.

Both of the links are from over a decade ago, I don't really have any context for NYC endorsements/charities and don't care enough about 2009 to dig deeper.

We have direct evidence of Steyer and Sanders bribing public officials for endorsements in South Carolina.  We have no evidence of that from Bloomberg.

The law was that NYC mayors were term limited to 2 terms. Bloomberg wanted to run again, so he bribed everyone who might oppose it to change the law and allow him to run for a 3rd term, and then to support him in his re-election bid (including also bribing independent good government groups to not put up a fuss about it).

Bloomberg is doing the same thing now - it is his modus operandi. He doesn't just run ads to build support, he bribes people and organizations that stand in his way to build support.

When you have any evidence of him bribing people in this campaign cycle, let me know.

The article about him donating to the charity in 2009 seems slightly sketchy but he had also been donating the same amount to that charity for a decade before he ever needed their help.  I don't really care enough about NYC politics in 2009 to go dig around.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

#neverbloomberg. Rather MacDonald Trump instead of Old "Stop anf Frisk" Bloomy.

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

When you have any evidence of him bribing people in this campaign cycle, let me know.

That is exactly the "beauty" of how he works. He bribes people and organizations in ways the elide reporting requirements.

He can donate to someone's pet church/charity/organization from his personal accounts and there is no reporting requirement, because it is not "part of his campaign."

That being said, he has also been known to pay "consultants" and the like who happen to be politically convenient for him to have support from very well (same story with Steyer). But by the time the specifics come out for that, much or maybe all of the relevant primary voting will already be over.

So if you only pay attention to it then, after the fact - and ignore what Bloomberg did before, then you are just willfully ignoring what is happening (because you just care about beating Bernie, not about substantive issues). Which is why it is not particularly worth discussing this with you further. However, the links may be informative for other people who actually care about the substantive corruption issues that arise from billionaires purchasing high political office.

[MarkD]

I thought bribery is, by definition, illegal. Look at why Blagoyevich was removed from office and sent to jail. If the term limits law in NYC was changed because of money Bloomberg passed under the table to other NYC politicians, Bloomberg belongs in jail too.