Study identifies political profiling
David Roy
Issue date: 10/25/04 Section: News
A recent study of political corruption cases in the U.S. has suggested that Attorney General John Ashcroft is guilty of political profiling.
The study conducted by University of Missouri professor emeritus Donald Shields and ISU professor emeritus John Cragan used Google internet searches to research and investigate 229 political corruption investigations and indictments.
"Ashcroft had given several speeches on political corruption."
"We started looking at federal investigations and indictments," Shields said.
According to Shields, the two stopped their research at the end of August with 229 cases.
Of those 229 cases, 83 percent were investigations of Democrats, 16 percent were Republicans and one percent of investigations were of Independent officials.
These percentages are disproportionate to the actual frequency of the parties.
In reality, 50 percent of elected officials are Democrats and 41 percent are Republican, Cragan said.
The study concludes that Democrat office holders are 67 percent more likely to be investigated by Ashcroft and the Justice Department than a Republican is.
The researchers attribute these numbers to an uneven application of the law. They do not feel they accurately represent cases of political corruption.
"I don't think Democrats are more likely to be corrupt," Cragan said.
However, Cragan said the study does not argue for the innocence of those investigated.
"We're not trying to argue they are innocent people," Cragan said.
"All [the study] says is more Democrats are investigated and indicted, much more so than their representation in office," Shields said.
These cases were deemed to be especially notable in swing states. The Cragan and Shields study identified 16 investigations and indictments of Democratic officials, but none of Republicans.
Wisconsin saw seven cases against Democrats and only two on Republicans.
The study, which will be presented at the Southern Communication Speech Conference in April, likens these cases to racial profiling.
The study conducted by University of Missouri professor emeritus Donald Shields and ISU professor emeritus John Cragan used Google internet searches to research and investigate 229 political corruption investigations and indictments.
"Ashcroft had given several speeches on political corruption."
"We started looking at federal investigations and indictments," Shields said.
According to Shields, the two stopped their research at the end of August with 229 cases.
Of those 229 cases, 83 percent were investigations of Democrats, 16 percent were Republicans and one percent of investigations were of Independent officials.
These percentages are disproportionate to the actual frequency of the parties.
In reality, 50 percent of elected officials are Democrats and 41 percent are Republican, Cragan said.
The study concludes that Democrat office holders are 67 percent more likely to be investigated by Ashcroft and the Justice Department than a Republican is.
The researchers attribute these numbers to an uneven application of the law. They do not feel they accurately represent cases of political corruption.
"I don't think Democrats are more likely to be corrupt," Cragan said.
However, Cragan said the study does not argue for the innocence of those investigated.
"We're not trying to argue they are innocent people," Cragan said.
"All [the study] says is more Democrats are investigated and indicted, much more so than their representation in office," Shields said.
These cases were deemed to be especially notable in swing states. The Cragan and Shields study identified 16 investigations and indictments of Democratic officials, but none of Republicans.
Wisconsin saw seven cases against Democrats and only two on Republicans.
The study, which will be presented at the Southern Communication Speech Conference in April, likens these cases to racial profiling.