America: From a Fallen Child Star to the Head of the University of the West

Chapter 115 The Difference Between Purity and Turbidity

Vincent Carter looked at the serious faces on the video conference screen and felt a slight headache.

This was a "legal expert consultation" arranged by Kelly, with participants including three constitutional lawyers, two election lawyers, and a former federal prosecutor. All of them are well-known figures in the industry, and their fees were naturally quite high.

The meeting had been going on forty minutes, with most of the time spent debating the feasibility and risks of legal action in the "badger-hunting plan".

"Mr. Carter," said Elkins, a silver-haired constitutional lawyer with gold-rimmed glasses who looked kind and friendly.

"Your strategy of launching a series of information disclosure requests against Senator Krane and his affiliated groups is legally feasible, but it will face many procedural obstacles in its execution. These organizations will use every means to delay and narrow the scope of the requests, and the whole process could take months or even years."

Vincent doesn't deny this at all, saying, "I understand. But one of our goals is to create public pressure, and the idea that politicians are trying to hide information" is itself a narrative point.

Another lawyer specializing in election law interjected, "But you must be very careful to avoid anything that could be interpreted as an abuse of legal process. If Crane's team turns around and accuses you of harassment, the court could impose sanctions."

"So every step we take must have a solid legal basis," Vincent said. "That's why Mr. Kelly invited everyone—we need to ensure that our strategy is legally sound."

Kelly sat next to Vincent, saying very little, only occasionally taking notes. But Vincent noticed that the veteran campaign manager's eyes were constantly scanning the screen for everyone's reactions.

The debate continues. It concerns the timing of the countersuit, the strategy for discovery, and how to respond to potential defamation allegations from the Crane team.

Experts have differing opinions, and sometimes they even get into heated arguments.

Vincent listened, his confusion growing deeper.

He is a lawyer himself, so he can keep up with these legal discussions, and in some details he is even more familiar with the practical aspects of election law than these senior lawyers.

After all, he has handled numerous legal matters related to local elections over the years. Why would Kelly spend so much money to hire these "experts"?

After an hour of the meeting, Kelly finally spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said calmly, "thank you for your professional advice. I suggest we take a fifteen-minute break to regroup."

The lawyers on the screen nodded, and the screen went black one by one.

Vincent turned to Kelly: "Mr. Kelly, I don't quite understand. These discussions are helpful, but I've already considered most of them. Is it necessary for us to spend this money? My firm is perfectly capable of handling these legal strategies."

Kelly took off his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses.

"Carter," he said, "what do you think of these guys?"

"Undeniably—" Vincent frowned, "they are all top professionals, but—"

"But some of them were reserved, some were eager to show off, and some were clearly testing our limits," Kelly finished for him. "That's why this meeting is necessary."

"I don't understand."

Kelly put his glasses back on. "If we're really going to have a full-blown legal battle, yes, your team plus some public interest legal support would be enough. But the purpose of today's meeting isn't solely to develop a legal strategy."

Vincent was stunned.

“You see,” Kelly continued, “the legal circle in Washington is a small circle. At least three people here today have direct or indirect connections with Crane’s team. They’ve either worked together before, are alumni, or are in the same club. The word will get out. Crane will know we’re seriously preparing a legal counterattack, know who we’ve consulted, and know in which directions we might attack.”

Vincent's eyes widened at his words: "You mean—this is a decoy? You're deliberately spreading rumors?"

“It’s not entirely a smokescreen.” Kelly smiled slyly. “The legal advice is real, but the side effects are more important. We need to put pressure on Crane, to let him know we’re not just casually dealing with his lawsuit, but preparing a multi-pronged counterattack. People are prone to making mistakes under pressure. He might speed up certain actions, might say the wrong thing in public, or might put unreasonable pressure on the team.”

"Just like he did to that young staffer, Benny Archer."

Yes, even if it was just a small thing he heard Sean recount, he had already made a note of it.

Vincent was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head: "I don't like this. It's playing power games, not using the law itself to defeat the other side."

"The law never operates in a vacuum," Kelly said calmly. "It's intertwined with politics, public opinion, and power. You can certainly fight with pure legal arguments, but if you can simultaneously create an environment unfavorable to your opponent, why not?"

"Because it's not clean," Vincent insisted. "We accuse Crane of abusing legal procedures for political persecution. If we play those games ourselves, how are we any different from him?"

He certainly doesn't deny that there is a certain amount of fraud and understandable conspiracy in political struggles, but he becomes extremely cautious when these matters involve the law.

Even Sean only considered these methods as backup plans!

Kelly looked at Vincent with a complex emotion in her eyes.

It was appreciation and understanding, but there was also a hint of regret.

“Carter,” he said, “when I was young, I was just like you, believing that the world could be changed purely through ideals and justice. But after being in the Democratic Party for so many years, watching so many idealists either marginalized or learning to play this game, I have mixed feelings.”

"Kelly, the law is not necessarily justice, or rather—the law is more than just justice," Vincent corrected, squinting his eyes.

“Okay, I get it! I’m not saying you have to go along with it, but—you need to understand the complexities of reality,” Kelly said. “If it were just about winning, I wouldn’t have thought of this idea. But if we want to do more than just win a lawsuit, but change the political culture itself, then we need a more comprehensive strategy. The law is a weapon, public opinion is a weapon, and political pressure is a weapon. The key is how to use them, and for what purpose.”

Vincent then reflected on why he left New Jersey, came to Philadelphia, and eventually joined Sean's team.

Because he was tired of the legal system being manipulated by those in power, and because he wanted to defend those who had no voice.

He waited ten years or even longer, not to see this kind of ending!

But now, Kelly is suggesting he use some methods he doesn't entirely agree with.

"I need to think about it," Vincent finally said.

After a moment's thought, Kelly said, "Of course, we all need to think about it carefully. But we have to continue our meeting in fifteen minutes, and whatever your final decision is, at least today, we need to get these 'experts' to spread the word."

Vincent looked at Kelly's profile as he reopened the video conference interface, then fell silent.