Following up on ‘Booty For Biden’ — What Might Seem Silly Is Actually a Federal Crime
“Booty for Biden”, an effort by online media “influencer” and social media “star” Tana Mongeau to drive votes for Joe Biden by promising to provide a nude picture of herself to anyone who showed her proof they had voted early for Biden. According to the NYPost:
if u send me proof u voted for Biden I’ll send you a nude for free,” Mongeau, 22, tweeted to her 2.4 million Twitter followers in a now-deleted post on Wednesday, Sept. 30, along with her Spam account link, the hashtag #bootyforbiden and three rows of white hearts.
There is a federal statute that prohibits offers of anything of value in exchange for casting a vote. Title 18, United States Code Sec. 597 states:
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Not only is Mongeau at risk for prosecution, but everyone who communicated with her that they had done what she asked and then received the access to the nude photographs is at risk for prosecution. She claimed in a TikTok video she posted that she received 10,000 responses to her invitation.
h/t CrsCrpr