Justice Done—Sort Of
In 2007 Paul Jacob, an anti-big-government grassroots activist, and two colleagues were indicted by the state of Oklahoma. Their crime? They had hired people who were not Oklahoma citizens to gather petition signatures for a referendum to impose spending limits on Oklahoma’s profligate legislators. State law said that only residents could pass out petitions, but Jacobs had actually spoken with officials before the petition drive and been assured that as long as signature-gatherers were staying in the state—even if only temporarily—they could carry out their tasks.