A Georgia prosecutor just announced that he will not enforce parts of the newly passed voter integrity law he doesn’t like.
Brian Whiteside, is the Democratic solicitor general of Gwinnett County, Gerogia and told MSNBC’s Ari Melber that he will only enforce parts of the law he likes.
Below is a partial transcript:
MELBER: What exactly are you saying you intend to do?
WHITESIDE: Well, basically, we`re not going to prosecute someone who is not campaigning or has partisan paraphernalia on. Someone who is nonpartisan, someone who`s not campaigning, we`re not going to prosecute them for simply giving food and drink out.
And this happened continuously last year, where people who were not campaigning basically bought food and water to people to help them due to the heat and the hot conditions.
MELBER: Right.
Now, is your contention that you found some kind of loophole in the law or that you are simply not going to follow part of the law?
WHITESIDE: No, what is in the law, basically, the law, there`s no rational basis for it.
When you commit to a criminal law, there has to be a basis that there`s going to be harm to a party or to property. There`s no harm in someone being humane. So, there`s no actual criminal nexus here to be humane, to give someone some…
MELBER: Let me ask you the follow-up.
WHITESIDE: Yes, sir.
MELBER: Let me ask you the follow-up, because a lot of people might agree with you, sir.
That`s why we have covered the problems with the law. But what do you say to the critique that that may sound no different than someone who opposes marriage equality and says they`re not going to issue those marriage licenses and these other controversies we have had?
In other words, does this just come down to your opinion, above what the law states?
WHITESIDE: Well, I think, when you look at the rational basis of the law, there is no rational basis. It basically says that they`re going to arrest someone for merely having water or giving water out.
I take an oath to seek justice. It would be unjust for a police officer to arrest someone for merely giving someone some type of nutrition or hydration.
MELBER: It`s a very interesting stance you have taken, which is why we wanted to spotlight it, also, as you know, one that many are debating within a law that, if it stays on the books, remains quite debatable.
There you have it, Democrats are now openly flouting they will not abide by the law.
