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Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 3:27 pm - by Dan Pohlig. Filed under: Crime.
WHYY’s Susan Phillips just filed a story about the cost to taxpayers of the federal corruption trial of Vince Fumo. Factoring in just court salaries, the judge, security and jury costs, the trial has cost a little under $9000 per day. That doesn’t even count the salaries of the U.S. attorneys, their staff and other expenses (copies, copies, copies!).
In the story, former federal prosecutor Barry Gross says that the cost to taxpayers should never factor in to the decision about whether to prosecute an allegedly corrupt official.
And he’s right. Of course it shouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not instructive to know how much the actions of that allegedly corrupt official are costing the taxpayer, aside from the “alleged” costs of the crime itself.
By committing the alleged crime and essentially forcing the Feds to use resources to investigate, charge and prosecute, these elected officials, in whom we’ve placed our trust to uphold, the law are diverting resources from the investigation and prosecution of violent criminals and corporate wrongdoers.
March 13th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Mr. Pohlig makes a good point and then points in the wrong direction. Thankfully, he used the word “alleged” before “crime” which has been sorely overlooked by media reporting.
Therefore, this political witch hunt has cost a bloody fortune using the very money that the Senator has been accused of using; taxpayer money. We, the taxpayers, are footing the bill for this farce that is allegedly justice in action and the amount of that which the Senator has been ACCUSED of misusing pales into insignificance when compared to what it has cost the taxpayers to prosecute a case made up of slurs and innuendo. And it was the Government’s choice to prosecute and spend 5 years on charges that for the most part were NOT illegal.
I wonder how many of you readers drove to work this morning and did 38 in a 35. If you did, then you broke the law and should be prosecuted. “Let Ye who be without sin cast the first stone……..”
March 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I guess we don’t have to use “alleged” any more. But here’s my follow up question: does that fact that Fumo was found guilty on all counts automatically make the trial worth all of the money that was spent to investigate, charge and prosecute Fumo? It may not be as a clear cut a question as you think. Feel free to discuss in the comments.
March 16th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Vince Fumo had to be prosecuted no matter what the cost. It was money well spent. As a laid off PECO worker, that 17 million could have saved alot of jobs at the time PECO downsizing. But Fumo was into his OPM mode, extorting the money from PECO then placing it in his private slush fund, citizen’s alliance. Fumo got a fair trial and the over whelming evidence lead to his guilty verdict. Fumo is what is wrong with politics today. Money, greed and power. Best of luck to you in your endevours, Vince.