Would Orrin Hatch’s amendment make Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk a criminal?
So Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduces an amendment making it a crime to lie about your military service, and just days later, a Republican senate candidate is caught misrepresenting his service. The question is: Does the bill apply to Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in the same way it applied to the original target — Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D)? Would Kirk have committed a crime? The answer, according to Hatch’s office, is no. “The amendment’s intent is clear – it would make lying about serving in active duty in the military for the purposes of career advancement a misdemeanor,” Hatch spokesman Antonia Ferrier said. The language of the amendment, though, is pretty broad, and it seems it could be construed to apply to Kirk’s situation. It reads: “Whoever knowingly makes a fraudulent statement or representation, verbally or in writing, regarding the person’s record of military service in the United States Armed Forces, including, but not limited to, participation in co
