Sen. Rod Wright convicted of voter fraud, could spend 8 years in jail

rod-wrightCalifornia state Sen. Rod Wright, the man largely responsible for pushing the legalization of online poker and sports betting in California, is in a lot of trouble, trouble that could eventually lead to him losing his seat in the state Senate and going to jail for up to eight years, not to mention getting banned for life from holding any other elective office.

The beleaguered senator was convicted earlier this week by a Los Angeles jury on eight felony counts of perjury and voter fraud after the jury discovered that he had lied about his address on voter registration and  candidacy documents back in 2007 and 2008.

California law explicitly states that candidates for the state Legislature live in the district they seek to represent when they take out papers to run. But Wright, knowingly or unknowingly, violated that law when he “rented a room” in a house he owns that was being occupied by a family relative just to establish legal residence in the district. It was later found out, though, that his actual residence was in the affluent neighborhood of Baldwin Hills in Los Angeles, which is outside the district he wanted to represent.

It may sound inconsequential to some people, but the possibility of Sen. Wright losing his post and going to jail could have far greater repercussions as far as the state’s expanded gambling talks are concerned.

Remember, it was Sen. Wright who is one of the biggest advocates of bringing online poker and sports betting to the state of California. So seeing him in the trouble that he’s in isn’t exactly a comforting thought for businesses who were keen on entering the California market in the event both online poker and sports betting are legalized.

At the very least, it’s one less influential voice that will take up the pro-online poker fight in California, although fellow senator Lou Correia could continue that fight.

Right now, though, his online poker and sports betting bills should the least of Sen. Wright’s problems. He’s now facing the all-too real prospect of going to jail for the next eight years. At the moment, he still has a seat in the California senate