Begging Emails, and Scams

I continue to receive emails from Mike Johnson, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Pompeo, and others, asking me to contribute. What struck me recently was an email from the “State Republican Party” demanding that I renew my expired membership. I had never been a dues-paying member, so this is at best an error. I wonder whether it is actually a Republican political solicitation, or an outright scam, for the private enrichment of some crook. Legally, politicians, even politicians whom I abhominate, can request campaign contributions and, I suppose, help with their legal bills; the legalities may change when someone like Steve Bannon solicits donations to build Trump’s wall, and allegedly keeps the dough for himself.

Morally, someone trying to scam Trumpublicans to enrich himself may be doing less harm than someone who is sincerely trying to put Trump and his collection of cockroaches back in power, and to end constitutional government. Should people be judged by their sincerity, by the legality of their actions, or by how much harm they are likely to do? All of the above, I would say, as different questions may be asked, and then answered according to different criteria.