Rosie's Legal Troubles: Did She Break The Law?

Rosie O'Donnell is an American comedian, actress, author, and television personality. In 2018, she was accused of violating individual election campaign contribution regulations by donating over the limit to several Democratic Party candidates. While O'Donnell claimed that she did nothing nefarious, the incident sparked discussions about the legality of her actions and potential consequences if she were to be found in violation of the law. Additionally, in 2017, O'Donnell faced scrutiny for a tweet in which she allegedly offered millions of dollars to two senators to change their vote, raising questions about potential bribery charges. These incidents have fueled debates and drawn attention to the line between comedic expression and legal boundaries.

Rosie O'Donnell's alleged bribery of senators

On December 19, 2017, American comedian Rosie O'Donnell tweeted a controversial "offer" to pay Republican senators Susan Collins and Jeff Flake $2 million each to vote against the GOP tax reform bill. While the tweet was likely intended as a joke, right-wing critics accused O'Donnell of offering a bribe to public officials, which is illegal.

O'Donnell's tweet read:

> So how about this I promise to give 2 million dollars to senator Susan Collins and 2 million to senator jeff flake if they vote NO NO I WILL NOT KILL AMERICANS FOR THE SUOER RICH DM me susan DM me jeff no shit 2 million cash each.

Although O'Donnell's tweet was probably political discourse intended to make a point, some people took it very seriously. Conservative Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro, for example, urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take action, saying, "Bribery is illegal under federal law."

However, it is highly unlikely that O'Donnell would have been charged with any crime. For a conviction, a court would need to prove O'Donnell intended the statement as a serious offer, and not as a form of free speech or humour. Additionally, if O'Donnell had genuinely wanted to bribe the senators, she would likely have done so in secret rather than on her public Twitter account.

O'Donnell's large donations to Democratic Party candidates

In May 2018, it was reported that Rosie O'Donnell had exceeded the $2,700 limit on individual campaign contributions in donations to several Democratic Party candidates via the fundraising website ActBlue. Using five different New York addresses and four variations of her name, O'Donnell donated $90,000 to 50 different committees and candidates for federal office. This included donations to two current Democratic congressional candidates, Lauren Underwood and Omar Vaid, as well as campaigns for three current lawmakers: Adam Schiff, Doug Jones, and Conor Lamb.

O'Donnell denied any wrongdoing, stating that she did "nothing nefarious" and that she did not choose to donate over the limit. She also said that her anxiety was "quelled by donating to those opposing Trump and his agenda".

O'Donnell's total donations were listed at 66 donations totaling $75,500. She further stated that candidates should refund donation money that exceeds the individual limit, and that she "just donate [s], assuming they do not accept what is over the limit".

While O'Donnell's actions were scrutinized by conservative bloggers, there has been no announcement of an investigation into the alleged donations, and no criminal charges have been brought against her.

O'Donnell's violation of individual election campaign contribution regulations

Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. In 2008, O'Donnell's daughter, Chelsea, was arrested in Wisconsin on several charges, including possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. As a result, O'Donnell made maximum individual campaign contributions to the campaign of Doug Jones, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.

Federal election law in the United States places limits on the amount of money that individuals, groups, and political committees can contribute to federal political campaigns. These limits vary depending on the type of contributor and the recipient of the contribution. For example, for the 2015-2016 federal elections, an individual could contribute up to $2,700 to a candidate in a primary election and an additional $2,700 in the general election.

It is important to note that these contribution limits apply separately to each election in which a federal candidate participates. This means that primary, general, runoff, and special elections are all considered separate elections with their own contribution limits.

In the case of O'Donnell's contributions to Doug Jones' campaign, she would have been subject to the contribution limits for individual donors, which are typically lower than the limits for organizations or political committees. By making the maximum contributions allowed by law, O'Donnell did not break any election campaign contribution regulations.

O'Donnell's controversial views on gun control

Rosie O'Donnell has been an outspoken supporter of gun control since the Columbine shootings in 1999. During an episode of her talk show, she stated:

> You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison.

However, O'Donnell has also stated that she supports the right to bear arms, provided gun owners are "qualified, licensed, and registered". This stance has led to accusations of hypocrisy, particularly as O'Donnell employed an armed bodyguard for her son and had a contract with Kmart, the largest gun retailer in the US at the time.

O'Donnell's views on gun control have led to some controversial moments, including a heated on-air debate with Tom Selleck, whom she interrogated about his involvement with the National Rifle Association (NRA). She has also been criticised for her apparent lack of knowledge on the topic, such as referring to the AR-15 as a "machine gun".

O'Donnell's criticism of the Bush administration's policies

Rosie O'Donnell was an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's policies. During her time as a co-host on the daytime talk show, *The View*, O'Donnell engaged in numerous on-air disputes with fellow co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a conservative who typically supported the Bush administration's policies. O'Donnell's criticisms of the Bush administration covered a range of domestic and foreign policies, including the Iraq War, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the Bush tax cuts.

O'Donnell was a vocal opponent of the Iraq War and often mentioned recent military deaths and news about the war, criticising the US media for its lack of attention to these issues compared to media coverage worldwide. On one episode of *The View*, O'Donnell rhetorically asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists? ... if you were in Iraq and another country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?" Conservative commentators criticised O'Donnell's statement, accusing her of comparing American soldiers to terrorists.

O'Donnell also questioned the USA PATRIOT Act, which was signed into law by President Bush on October 26, 2001. The act permitted increased sharing of intelligence among the US Intelligence Community and expanded the government's domestic authority to conduct surveillance of suspected terrorists. O'Donnell's criticism of the act may have been influenced by her broader concerns about civil liberties and privacy, which she has discussed on her blog and in other media appearances.

In addition to her opposition to the Iraq War, O'Donnell also criticised the Bush administration's economic policies, particularly the tax cuts implemented during Bush's first term. These tax cuts, which included the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, were criticised for disproportionately benefiting higher-income taxpayers and for increasing income inequality. O'Donnell's views on economic policy may have been shaped by her own experiences with poverty and her commitment to philanthropic efforts.

O'Donnell also expressed concerns about the Bush administration's stance on gay rights. As a prominent lesbian and LGBT rights advocate, O'Donnell may have been particularly critical of the administration's failure to support gay marriage and its defence of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Overall, Rosie O'Donnell's criticisms of the Bush administration's policies were wide-ranging and reflected her liberal political views and commitment to social justice issues.

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