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Kentucky governor says he has no info on Mitch McConnell’s health as he rips Congress (www.the-independent.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sharply criticized Senator Mitch McConnell and the Senate at large over the Kentucky Republican’s prolonged absence from Congress due to health issues.

Beshear, a Democrat, said on Friday that he still had little information about the condition of McConnell, who was hospitalized in mid-June and released from a rehabilitation center earlier this month.

“I’ve received absolutely nothing, and that's the same that the people of Kentucky have received,” Beshear told MS Now. “This is why the Senate feels broken. These guys don’t think that they have a boss when the people of Kentucky are their boss. They don’t feel like they are accountable whatsoever.”

Beshear called on McConnell to make a video or call into a news show to update the public about his health.

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[+] -18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (43 children)

What crime do you think would apply here?

Edit: Don't just throw out stuff you heard on law and order; provide the applicable legal code for the state law.

Unless the point was to encourage the governor to abuse his power like Trump does.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    At my job we call this “no call no show” and it’s definitely a terminating offense

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    Yeah but unfortunately, isn't McConnell an elected official and doesn't that grant immunity to a higher up basically firing somebody at will? Protection against tyranny/pro democracy protection or something

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Yes, but McConnell doesn't have a job like yours. If I'm remembering correctly, he's not even running again, so there really is very little consequence for him not doing his job.

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  • [–] 13 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    So because he isn’t running again, he can do whatever he wants, like hide his incapacitating stroke until it’s too late for a special election and they appoint a senator of their choosing against the will of the people? That’s the system we have? Where they are like kings and we can’t do shit about it? Abolish the senate? The DSA was right after all? Socialism must win? Is that what you mean?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I'm not sure about the last few sentences but generally, yes, this is how it works. The only real leverage against a representative is not getting reelected.

    I'm not happy about it.

    Side note that there is a difference between "Democratic Socialist" and "Socialist". As far as I am aware, the DSA isn't advocating to end capitalism and implement socialism. I'm not clear how you even got to that topic, as a socialist economy could still have the same issues with how the government works (or doesn't).

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (1 child)

    To your side note, the DSA does advocate for an end to capitalism.

    Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society.

    https://www.dsausa.org/about-us/what-is-democratic-socialism/

    Edit: Just to mention, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) is what formed the DSA, and the DSOC was a split from the Socialist Party of America (SPA) due to the the SPA being "obsessively anticommunist" (in quotes but the exact quote may be a little different, I'd have to look it up to check).

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  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    Tyler Hern was booked into the Campbell County Detention Center on $500,000 bond. He was charged with felony abuse of a corpse.

    https://lawandcrime.com/crime/man-lived-with-wifes-corpse-for-7-to-10-days-texted-her-family-from-her-phone-to-conceal-her-death-police/

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (7 children)

    I'm assuming this is a joke about McConnell being dead, but, as a sidebar, holy hell $500k bond for a non violent crime?

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  • [–] 13 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    It's not a joke, there's a very plausible chance he's dead, or seriously injured and not getting proper medical care.

    If he's dead, and the people around him are hiding it, then that is a very serious crime. If he's seriously injured and not getting proper care, that's elder abuse.

    So when there's a plausible chance, law enforcement can do a welfare check. They show up at the residence, and investigate.

    Like, it's a normal thing...

    The reason I found a specific case in Kentucky like that, is to show that even just not reporting was a serious felony. The amount of bond is likely because that dude most likely killed his wife and that's why he didn't report her death, also that it involved him sending messages pretending to be her. With McConnell releasing public messages to his constituents, if those aren't him it's even more serious.

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  • [+] -7 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    I invite you to really think of the implications of your suggestion.

    Start at "send law enforcement to search a residence to see if a corpse is in the house being abused".

    Edit:

    The amount of bond is likely because that dude most likely killed his wife

    Weird that he wasn't charged with that.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    I invite you to really think of the implications of your suggestion

    Have you thought of googling something you didn't know about instead of trying to walk down the entire path of why it's a law?

    https://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-is-a-police-welfare-check/

    Weird that he wasn’t charged with that.

    Again, it's completely normal to charge and hold someone for a lesser charge that's provable when they're suspected of a more serious charge, that is honestly the norm in the American legal system...

    You seem to be completely ignorant of how this all works. If you start asking questions you'll learn more, most people will just give up because you're trying to argue when you don't know what you're talking about

    What does someone else gain by helping you understand something?

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  • [+] -6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    From your link:

    Essentially, as long as they have reasonable grounds to believe that an inhabitant in a residence in endangered, they can legally enter the premises. 

    Internet conspiracies aren't "reasonable grounds".

    I invite you again to consider the implications of your suggestion.

    Again, it's completely normal to charge and hold someone for a lesser charge that's provable when they're suspected of a more serious charge, that is honestly the norm in the American legal system

    It is a miscarriage of justice to hold someone against their will for a crime they haven't even been charged with by charging them with a lesser crime and then setting a bond that doesn't reflect the crime they're being charged with. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it was outrage that KY is still allowing it.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (16 children)

    For one thing, collecting paid medical leave after a person is deceased is fraud, and when it's coming from the taxpayers there are likely more types of fraud at play too.

    For another thing, withholding a special election by hiding the death of a senator has got to violate some statutes somewhere. Probably another type of fraud, at least.

    As far as state legal code goes. No. I'm not a lawyer. But this is clearly an example of many kinds of fraud.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    He's probably alive but has suffered much worse brain damage than Fetterman and obviously can't do his job in his current condition.

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  • [–] -4 points 2 months ago (13 children)

    "Clearly" an example of fraud but you can't point to a law, and you need to assume he's dead.

    I will grant you that it feels wrong that he can just soft quit his job without consequences. That doesn't make it illegal.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (12 children)

    The reason I can't point to a law is because I'm not a lawyer. I've never read a legal code. And I'm not from Kentucky. It's not because a legal code can't be found. It's because I'm refusing to jump through your hoops just to gain your validation.

    And I didn't assume he's dead. The issue here is about his apparent refusal to provide proof of life. It seems you're the one assuming he's not dead.

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  • [–] -5 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    And I didn't assume he's dead. The issue here is about his apparent refusal to provide proof of life. It seems you're the one assuming he's not dead.

    Some time earlier:

    For one thing, collecting paid medical leave after a person is deceased is fraud, and when it's coming from the taxpayers there are likely more types of fraud at play too.

    The "laws" you made up require him to be dead the to violate them. That is to say, you are assuming he is dead.

    It seems disengenuous to make claims about the law and then hide behind "I'm not a lawyer, bro" when confronted about it. Maybe, if you don't know anything about the law, you shouldn't discuss the law.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (9 children)

    The issue here is about whether or not he's dead and it's being covered up. You asked what law would apply, and I'm telling you that if his death is being hidden, then it's an example of fraud. Not to mention conspiracy.

    I didn't "make up" laws. Fraud is a law.

    And no, I didn't "assume" that he's dead. Fuck, it's like you have no idea about the context of this entire fucking story. Or you're just arguing in bad faith, which is the more likely explanation.

    It seems disengenuous to make claims about the law and then hide behind "I'm not a lawyer, bro" when confronted about it.

    It's not disingenuous at all. This is a web forum, not a court room. It's where people discuss things in a conversational way. If you want to litigate this before a judge, then go to a Kentucky circuit court. I'm not going to spend hours poring over kentucky legal codes just to prove a point to you.

    Maybe, if you don't know anything about the law, you shouldn't discuss the law.

    You could say this about any field, and you'd be equally wrong. People don't need to be doctors to talk about covid, people don't need to be historians to talk about ancient Greece, and people don't need to be engineers to talk about technology.

    You asked a question in a forum and got an answer, and the bone you want to pick is that the person responding isn't a lawyer? That's pathetic. You're not a lawyer either.

    Oh, by the way, the governor of kentucky has the state's attorneys general as a resource, whose entire jobs it is to know kentucky state law. Go ask them your questions if you want an expert fucking opinion. You're on lemmy.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    The governor can't "do something" without there being a crime. Unless you're advocating for abuses of executive power. Hence why I asked what crimes would exist to justify it.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago* (7 children)

    There's a lot that a governor can do without there being any crimes involved. Where did you even get that idea that he can't? He's not the state prosecutor, he's the governor.

    It's entirely within the fair and just use of executive power to demand proof of life from a senator who has been no-contact and supposedly on medical leave for nearly two months now. He was elected by his constituents and the taxpayers are funding his salary. He should be accountable to the people, and if he can no longer perform his duties then he needs to step down.

    The governor demanding a response is not overstepping his authority. And if it turns out that Mitch has been dead for a few weeks, and that there's been a massive cover-up by co-conspirators trying to defraud the state of Kentucky in order to maintain their own grip on power by preventing a special election, or that his family has been collecting his salary and medical benefits that should have ended on the day he died, then that is fraud and should be prosecuted as such.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    He has already demanded this and was ignored.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    Yes. Yes, exactly. You finally get it.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    So now what? He has no direct influence over a senator. Abuse executive power?

    This is why I was asking what crime he would use to justify taking further steps.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    He doesn't need direct influence over a senator. He's only demanding proof of life. Either McConnell can give that, or he can't. If he can't, it's because he's dead. If he's alive, then he can give proof of life.

    If it comes out that he's been dead and there's been a cover-up, then every co-conspirator involved in that cover up is liable for fraud, which it would be the state attorney's job to prosecute, and potentially US attorneys since it involves a member of Congress.

    And I've already explained this to you multiple times, so at this point you're sealioning.

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  • [–] -2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    McConnell did give proof of life, you just didn't like it.

    I get the frustration, but the KY governor is (and should be) bound by the law.

    I'd think people would be sick of politicians abusing their power. Seems like many of you are okay with it as long as you agree with the reasons for abusing power.

    I think abusing power is wrong, regardless of the reasons.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    When? Where? Show me.

    I never said anything about the governor not being bound by the law or abusing power. That's stuff that you're adding.

    Accountability for public officials is not an abuse of power. Holy shit.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 months ago*

    When? Where? Show me.

    He released two separate pictures. Google will help you find them.

    Accountability for public officials is not an abuse of power. Holy shit.

    The senator of a state is not accountable to the governor of that state. Stop talking past me and think. You want the KY governor to do something he has no power to do.

    I feel like you think that I'm defending McConnell and his actions (or lack thereof) but nothing is farther from the truth; I'm just stating facts. Internet conspiracies about McConnell being dead are just that; they're not actually actionable.

    All the governor can do is make demands, but he has no power to force those demands to be met. He's done all he can, short of abusing his own power. If you agree that he shouldn't abuse his power, then he is out of options.

    Our system of government clearly has very many loopholes that unscrupulous people acting in bad faith can exploit, and we need to make a real effort to patch them up when Dems have the power to do so, but until then there's not much anyone can do about it.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Who needs a crime? He could call for a wellness check.

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  • [+] -11 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I know this is difficult for people to read, but online conspiracies aren't evidence.

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  • [–] 13 points 2 months ago

    He's supposed to represent the people of Kentucky and hasn't done so or even been seen in public in months. That's not a conspiracy and a wellness check is perfectly reasonable.

    Can Beshear do anything about it either way? It kind of seems like the answer is no.

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