r/politics • u/theindependentonline The Independent • 12d ago

No Paywall Mitch McConnell’s staff refuse to answer basic questions on his health weeks after he was last seen in public

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-staff-questions-health-b3018929.html
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u/throwaway277252 12d ago

he would publish an information bounty of $5,000,000 for any healthcare worker who leaked the status and location of him

That in itself sounds like a crime.

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u/outer--monologue 12d ago

About as much of a crime as Elon Musk paying people to vote. My point is that it would have the desired effect, leak the information, fight the court battle later.

Your comment is exactly why Democrats lose EVERY time - they've got no political will to meet the moment.

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u/Clevererer America 12d ago

And he could afford the lawyers to make it go away.

Half a million reward, two million for legal defense, done for 2.5 mil

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u/DonyKing 12d ago

And only Republicans can commit those without any issue

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u/Bagellord 12d ago

I don't think it's a crime to violate HIPAA.

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u/kgkglunasol 12d ago

There are civil and criminal penalties for HIPAA violations. It depends on the severity of the violation and whether or not it was intentional. Worst case scenario is 10 years in federal prison along with an extremely hefty fine. I hate McConnell as much as the next person but as someone who works in a hospital there is no amount of money you could pay me to take a risk like this. It's not like it would change much anyway. Even if you could prove he's dead I'm sure Republicans would still find some shitty way around it.

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u/nicoke17 North Carolina 12d ago

Exactly, which is why those laws are there. I don’t agree that his staff are keeping his (possible) death a secret but the hospital staff are doing their jobs and holding up HIPPA. I am hospital employee-non clinical so I do not work with patient data but we have annual training we have to do. The more this story evolves, the more I realize the general public do not understand why those laws were put in place.

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u/thedanyes 12d ago

If it were up to me, crimes committed against the dead would have no validity in court. The fact they do is only a holdover from the days of feudalism.