Darrel Issa claims the White House may have broken federal law by offering Joe Sestak a job

  Arlen Specter is facing a primary challenge by Joe Sestak, this is an idea that for some reason– possibly the symbolism of Arlen Specter’s defection from the Republican party to the Democrat party– is not palatable for the Obama administration because, according to Joe Sestak, he was offered a high ranking job in return for his decision not to run against Arlen Specter.

  I find it reprehensible that the administration would interfere with a state election in a manner designed to steer the outcome of an election in what they perceive as an advantage. The federal government has no business deciding who will and who will not run in a state election, it is up to the people to decide who will represent them, not the president. And Darrel Issa shares these concerns as he contends that the Obama administration may have actually violated federal law if these accusations are true.

in a letter to White House general counsel Robert Bauer Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said that, if Sestak’s allegation is true, administration officials may have violated a federal statute which makes it a crime for a government employee to use his authority “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for certain offices, including Senate seats.

  I wrote this off as politics as usual when I wrote about it previously, I am sure that this type of deal is made behind closed doors all of the time. Here is what I said at the time:

Technically, there was probably nothing wrong with this offer; I am sure that this type of thing happens all the time. But I just can’t help but think that the White House should stay out of the affairs of the states

 Not that I thought it was right, and not that I was condoning this type of behavior, but I thought there was nothing particularly “out of the norm” when it comes to politics. Darrel Issa contends that there was indeed something wrong– and illegal– about the administration’s interference in a state election:

While the White House may think this is politics as usual, what is spectacularly unusual is when a candidate — a U.S. congressman no less — freely acknowledges such a proposal,” Issa wrote. “Almost always candidates keep quiet about such deals, and for good reason — they are against the law

  He does admit this type of deal does occur, but that the candidates keep it quiet– as I suspected– but that they do so specifically because it is illegal. Darrel Issa has sent a letter to Barack Obama’s attorney asking for the answers to seven questions on this issue; the last question being, “do you expect to make a referral to the United States Department of Justice in this matter?”

  I think we all know the answer to this question, this issue is going nowhere fast. This will be ignored by the Obama administration and by the media, but it should be looked into. If the administration conducted illegal activities in an effort to sway a state election it should be headline news all across the country, If Barack Obama’s administration did nothing wrong they have nothing to fear and should welcome an investigation. If they refuse they are admitting some guilt on this issue. Their refusal will be all the proof that we need.