The Portland Press Herald’s recent editorial on Sen. Susan Collins missed the mark (“Our View: Sen. Collins mistakes free speech for bribery,” Sept. 13).
The Editorial Board wrote, “A crowdfunding campaign sends the same message that wealthy donors deliver via PACs,” comparing campaign donations and legitimate political operations to this crowdfunding threat, citing it to be a First Amendment right.
Last time I checked, it was bribery for wealthy donors to say “vote this way or I’ll give a million dollars to your opponent.” Sen. Collins’ office even discussed the legality of the crowdfunding campaign with several lawyers who advised that it was possibly illegal.
This is just the latest in a series of absurd tactics to intimidate Sen. Collins, who is perhaps the most important vote in the Senate, into submission. Luckily, rape threats, coat hangers delivered to her office and the threat of a large donation to a still-unknown 2020 opponent are unlikely to sway Maine’s senior senator in either direction, as Sen. Collins has displayed that she is more than capable of thinking for herself.
Barbara Campbell Harvey
secretary, Maine Republican Party
Portland
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