Payola is Mandated by Law?

Now, I'm no attorney (yet), but this motion for dismissal seems pretty weak.

Earlier this morning, Thompson's attorney filed a motion seeking to have the charges against her dismissed. Prosecutors allege that Thompson added a step to the evaluation process that resulted in the awarding of the contract to Adelman travel. She did so, prosecutors say, to gain political advantage for her supervisors and to protect her job security.

In his brief, Thompson's attorney Stephen Hurley argued that the final step in the process is mandated by law, and was not added by Thompson. Hurley further argued that there was nothing wrong with Thompson wanting to please her supervisors and protect her job.

The same could be said for the caucus scandal: capitol employees wanted to please their bosses, and help keep their jobs, thus working on campaigns on state time. Does that make it any less illegal?

And this "extra step" that is "mandated by law"? Seeing which companies have donated to Jim Doyle's reelection campaign is mandated by law? I must be doing my job all wrong if that is mandated by law.

I am actually very surprised that she pled not guilty. I expected her to plead guilty, and take the fall for Doyle. I expected Doyle or his also ethically-challenged campaign manager, Rich Judge, to have gotten to her, and encouraged a guilty plea, so that nothing incriminating comes up in trial.

(Cross-posted at Right off the Shore)