From MSNBC:
Just a “bookkeeping error.”
That’s how Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has characterized the crimes alleged in the indictment of former President Donald Trump. In fact, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal other crimes. Politics no doubt animates some of the more hysterical responses to the charges. But they are also a good reminder that people of all political stripes too often dismiss the seriousness of so-called white-collar crime.
In reality, offenses committed by the business elite can be just as serious as those committed by street criminals. In fact, I would argue that in some cases, white-collar crime is more egregious than crime committed by destitute people desperate for cash. These are crimes often motivated by greed, instead of need.
And minimizing white-collar crime also ignores its victims — individuals and our society at large. The category includes investment fraud, like the scheme perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, who wiped out the life savings of some of his clients. It also encompasses cases of public corruption, as with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who, among other things, tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, preparing to leave the people of Illinois represented by the highest bidder rather than by someone who would best serve their interests. Far from “bookkeeping errors,” these kinds of crimes can cause financial ruin and undermine the foundation of democracy. Continue reading >>
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