All the other reasons in the thread why civil asset forfeiture is bad aside, it seems to me like a cood vehicle for corruption, too.
Imagine I run a drug cartel and want to make a deal with some corrupt cops. How can I pay them without raising suspicion? Simple:
- Open a new bank account and transfer the payment to it;
- Given an "anonymous" hint to the cops that the bank account is connected to the cartel; (indeed it is)
- The corrupt cops could seize the money using asset forfeiture and even make a nice PR show how it allows them to make progress in the war against drugs...
Imagine I run a drug cartel and want to make a deal with some corrupt cops. How can I pay them without raising suspicion? Simple:
- Open a new bank account and transfer the payment to it;
- Given an "anonymous" hint to the cops that the bank account is connected to the cartel; (indeed it is)
- The corrupt cops could seize the money using asset forfeiture and even make a nice PR show how it allows them to make progress in the war against drugs...