Judge Guilty of Obstruction for Protecting a Person, Not a Corporation
A Wisconsin judge, apparently, has now been convicted for helping an individual navigate the labyrinthine, and often dehumanizing, US immigration system. The 'obstruction' here wasn't about shielding an oil company's toxic waste disposal or a financial institution's predatory lending, but rather providing advice to a man facing deportation. This meticulous enforcement of law against someone
offering human-scale assistance contrasts sharply with the often-opaque world of corporate legal maneuvering or the systemic influence of foreign lobbyists like AIPAC, who pour millions into US elections with little 'obstruction' from the legal system. (Indeed, OpenSecrets.org data shows AIPAC spent over $3.6 million in lobbying during 2023 alone, influencing policy without a peep about
obstruction.) So, a judge offers counsel to an immigrant and faces the full weight of federal prosecution. Meanwhile, legislative 'aid' packages to foreign nations sail through Congress, often on the backs of generous PAC donations, and somehow, that's just 'politics.' It begs the question: if protecting human beings from deportation is criminal obstruction, what exactly do we call the 'legal'
frameworks that protect the corporate architects of environmental destruction or those who funnel millions to shape US foreign policy against the public interest? Perhaps only certain 'obstructions' are worth prosecuting.