Crime with Little Punishment

On September 26, 2005 the former Roslyn schools superintendent, Frank Tassone, pleaded guilty to stealing over $2 million from the school system over a six year period. He apologized for the harm he had done and agreed to pay back all the money he stole. However many parents that were in the courtroom later complained that he seemed to portray himself as one of his own most wounded victims. The money he stole paid for his vacations, meals, dry cleaning bills, furniture, dermatology treatments, car loans, real estate investments, and personal expenses. All these expense averaged about $20,000 a month. He also admitted that he submitted $219,000 worth of fake invoices for the printing of school handbooks. Tassone could spend as many as twenty five years in prison. However, in return for his cooperation, District Attorney Denis Dillon promised to recommend that he receive a maximum term of four to twelve years in prison.

Former President Richard Nixon is sometimes considered to be one of the most interesting political figures of the 20th century. Nixon made three major speeches on the Watergate scandal during 1973 and 1974. However, he is believed to have participated in the Watergate cover-up as far back as June 23, 1972. He finally sent his resignation letter to the Secretary of State at that time, Dr. Henry Kissinger, on August 9, 1974. His actions were later pardoned by former President Gerald Ford.

Both of these public figures committed serious crimes and should have been seriously punished. But neither was punished to the full extent of the law. Tassone could be in prison for less than four years and Nixon resigned and never served any jail time. Neither man will receive or did receive the true repercussions for his actions. If an average person committed one of these crimes they would have been more severely punished. This proves that certain politicians still are above the law (to an extent) today even when they admit to their indiscretions. Not all governent officials are corrupt, but most seem to be.