Advice for Dean Zimmerman
Federal agents searched the home of Green Party City Councilperson Dean Zimmerman yesterday, and took financial records and campaign materials five days before Tuesday’s primary election. He’s suspected of taking money from a developer in return for his vote on zoning.
I was a contributor this year and when he first ran four years ago. Though I joked about having a secret agenda, it was his idea to become a champion of Personal Rapid Transit, a system of elevated, automated taxicabs. PRT offers tremendous hope in the struggle to end our dependence on fossil fuels, stop global warming, and provide convenient, low-cost transportation.
My advice to Dean is to go with the flow. If it’s a frame job, say that. If you did it, come clean as soon as possible and shine as much light on the system as you can. And if you felt the ends justified the means, then say that.
As you might guess, I’m distrustful of the federal government to begin with. Unless they show convincing proof, I’m inclined to believe Dean.
posted by Tom Cleland @ 9/09/2005 08:56:00 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I wouldn't have thought developers would be approaching green party members, even if they are just on city council. On the other hand, I also would not suspect that it would be worth the trouble for federal agents to be searching their homes either.
I guess it just shows the disconnect between Texas and Minnesota politics.
This whole affair has had me really depressed. As a supporter of Zimmerman, I agree with what you have to say, though --- that whatever the situation, it would be best to make public statements about what happened. (I'm wondering, though, given the probable ambiguity of the law, if speaking in public could hurt him in a criminal case.) From what I've read in the papers, it does seem that he was targeted by the FBI, and probably because he is a Green. I remember how, just a few years ago, certain Greens across the country were being denied boarding on planes.
Anyway, I'm voting for Zimmerman on Tuesday regardless. He fights at the grassroota level, and really it was the shenanigans of the local Democrats that got him into finanical trouble. His high legal bills are a result of the redistricting by the Dems which actually redistricted him outside of his own ward.
Good points. I really want to give Dean the benefit of the doubt here, knowing that the government and the media can swoop in and raise a lot of accusations without providing any proof, then back down later after the damage has been done. They say they have tapes but we may find out later they don’t have a case.
Remember how Richard Jewell was falsely accused of the 1996 Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta? This year, Eric Robert Rudolph, the five-year fugitive, pleaded guilty to the crime.
Dean's campaign and the Green Party of MN have offered statements:
http://www.votedeanzimmermann.org/.
http://www.mngreens.org/news.php?action=fullnews&id=360.
They're challenging the FBI to release its evidence. I'm worried that the FBI will wait until just before the general to stir up another media frenzy. Lawsuit or not, I think Dean needs to preempt that by talking about whatever he thinks they have. If it's done carefully, I don't think it shouldn't hurt the court case.
Oops, I wasn't careful! I don't think it SHOULD hurt the court case.
http://www.dtilsen.net/blog/archives/00000022.htm
From what I've heard, a lot of the case is based on a "secret recording" of a public event.
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