By Tom Allon
In 1804, two American political leaders who really loathed one another engaged in a duel on the western banks of the Hudson River.
How barbaric. How quaint.
Today, our leaders do not use guns to eliminate rivals. They use the criminal justice system and the media: two very willing partners in the art of political destruction.
Since Watergate more than four decades ago, many a journalist’s dream is to take down those in power. They want to afflict the comfortable rather than comfort the afflicted.
I know this well: I’ve been one of those journalists. To this day, the scalps that my publications have been responsible for beheading are still among my proudest achievements.
A strong, robust press is vital in a democracy to keep the wealthy and powerful in line. Some of the finest journalism of the past few decades has exposed political corruption that has corroded the public’s trust in our government on all levels.
But we have reached a tipping point these past few years — whose nadir we witnessed in this presidential campaign.
The non-story of the FBI’s “investigation” of Hillary’s e-mails proves once again that law enforcement often intrudes in political campaigns in ways that are detrimental and unnecessary. Why did the whole world need to know that Jim Comey and his G-men were going to read all the e-mails on Anthony Weiner’s laptop to see if there was anything damning about the former secretary of state?
That letter from Comey to Congress — almost 10 days before a momentous election — could have tipped the election to Donald Trump and changed the course of history.
The “never mind” follow-up letter last weekend was certainly a welcome coda, but it merely highlighted the folly of this whole tempest in a teapot.
When law enforcement investigates political leaders there should be a legal prohibition of leaks or public statements. Just because someone is being probed doesn’t mean they are guilty at all. But the appearance of impropriety is often difficult to erase.
So many of our political leaders have been indicted and convicted in recent years that one wonders: Why would anyone run for elected office and become a target for an overzealous prosecutor? Aren’t we scaring off the best and brightest who look at the blood sport of politics and decide the risk is not worth it?
It is astounding that Donald Trump repeatedly said if he becomes president he will make sure a special prosecutor puts Hillary in jail. Even the leaders of the most notorious banana republics these days don’t explicitly say they will jail their opponents.
It is time we take a step back and reassess the way we elect our leaders and set them up for failure in a system where dark money and political favors set tempting traps. It is time for radical campaign finance reform so the wealthy cannot control the system and rent out our leaders to do their bidding. It is also time for elected leaders to receive competitive wages so we can attract better talent and eliminate outside income. This would attract a better caliber of candidate and enrich our political system.
In the meantime, we must insist that our law enforcement officials — from the FBI to the local district attorney — keep their investigations highly discreet and private. We must insist that our political candidates engage in a robust exchange of ideas rather than mudslinging character assassination. We must also hold the media accountable, with less focus on trying to tear candidates down and more on fact-checking their ideas.
There are so many people who go into politics and public life because they want to become great public servants. And, yes, there are some bad apples who abuse their power and lose their way.
It is time we made essential reforms so we get the strong government we need — not the mediocre leadership we settle for time and time again.
Tom Allon, president of City & State NY, was a Republican and Liberal Party-backed mayoral candidate in 2013 before he left to return to the private sector. Reach him at tallo
