{"id":588,"date":"2017-12-11T17:42:07","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T17:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=588"},"modified":"2017-12-11T17:42:07","modified_gmt":"2017-12-11T17:42:07","slug":"due-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2017\/12\/11\/due-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Due Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

Due Process<\/p>\n

“…if you admit you did something wrong you get it trouble, but if you deny it, they let you keep you job!” (SNL, 12\/8\/17)<\/em><\/p>\n

Al Franken and John Conyers resign. Donald Trump and Roy Moore deny. In this new age of recognizing harassment and assault, we take the side of the accusers on faith. While this is the right thing to do, how do we make sure the process is fair?<\/p>\n

Due Process: the right of Americans to have their side of the story heard, enshrined in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. From the Supreme Court of the United States to the Principal\u2019 office in any high school, granting due process is a requirement in any government disciplinary or enforcement action.<\/p>\n

Today, there is a small movement claiming that Al Franken did not get due process. They call on him to rescind his resignation announcement, and allow the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate, deliberate and reach conclusions. It\u2019s an odd group calling for this ranging from some who clearly support Franken and his work, including the liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee,[1]<\/a> to former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Fox News Commentator Laura Ingraham.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Each side of \u201cFranken supporters\u201d has their own axe to grind. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee wants Franken to use his influence in the Senate to lead the cultural change of the \u201crules\u201d of sexual harassment. Gingrich and Ingraham most likely want Franken to stay so they can continue to attack him (Gingrich, who had an affair with a staffer while married and Speaker and impeaching Clinton may also be looking for personal redemption.[3]<\/a>)<\/p>\n

But all of this gives rise to a greater issue. In this dawning age of changing rules, how should sexual harassers and worse be judged? Franken, who admitted to some of the actions his accusers claimed (but not all) resigned under extreme pressure from his Democratic colleagues. Congressmen John Conyers (D) and Trent Franks (R) resigned as well.<\/p>\n

None of these legislators were given a \u201chearing,\u201d nor were the charges against them investigated by some authoritative body. There was only an informal judgment by their political party, and \u201cpunishment\u201d applied as pressure to resign. And, of course, from a purely political standpoint, all of them will be replaced by members of their own party.<\/p>\n

Roy Moore and Donald Trump both claim \u201cdue process\u201d through the election process. Their argument is that the public \u201cjudges\u201d by their vote. They claim that once the scandal is out, and the \u201cjury of the electorate\u201d makes their decision, the problem is resolved.<\/p>\n

The Alabama election raises a different political question: should Republicans be willing to give up a precious vote in the Senate for their moral scruples, or is their a \u201chigher\u201d cause of political agenda that makes \u201cthe end justify the means?\u201d Or can they take a middle course, allowing Moore to be elected, then removing him so a Republican governor can appoint a replacement.<\/p>\n

This is the issue that will face the US Senate should Moore win tomorrow\u2019s Alabama election: the Constitution requires that he gets his seat in the Senate (Powell v McCormack) but then the Senate could judge Moore\u2019s ethical standing to stay. The Republican problem is that if they determine Moore should be removed, then what does that say about President Trump with his list of accusers. If the \u201cdue process of the electorate\u201d does not absolve Moore, then it shouldn\u2019t absolve Trump either.<\/p>\n

If Franken decides to return to elective politics, does his resignation serve as the penance required from him to return? Would reelection \u201cclense\u201d him? Or are his admitted actions a permanent bar from political office? Our new awareness of sexual harassment gives rise to the need for a new set of \u201crules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those rules are needed soon. The \u201crumor mill\u201d has the Washington Post prepared to out 20-30 members of Congress as harassers \u2013 what will happen then?[4]<\/a> We are already in one Constitutional crisis with President Trump and Russia: are we ready to handle two?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/liberal-group-al-franken-can-stay-in-the-senate-help-with-culture-shift\/article\/2640961<\/a><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> http:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/363707-gingrich-ingraham-dems-speaking-out-against-franken-a-lynch-mob<\/a><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/news\/newt-and-callista-an-affair-to-remember-20120126<\/a><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2017\/12\/08\/hoo-boy-wapo-cnn-preparing-to-expose-dozens-of-members-of-congress-on-sexual-harassment-and-misconduct-n2419647<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Due Process “…if you admit you did something wrong you get it trouble, but if you deny it, they let you keep you job!” (SNL, 12\/8\/17) Al Franken and John Conyers resign. Donald Trump and Roy Moore deny. In this new age of recognizing harassment and assault, we take the side of the accusers on … Continue reading “Due Process”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDue Process : Our America - Essays on Politics and American Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2017\/12\/11\/due-process\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Due Process : Our America - Essays on Politics and American Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Due Process “…if you admit you did something wrong you get it trouble, but if you deny it, they let you keep you job!” (SNL, 12\/8\/17) Al Franken and John Conyers resign. 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