Would you have a gang leader as your local politician?
Have you ever wondered: ”How could the US possibly vote for a criminal in a presidential election?” Well, Ireland will be able to test part of Dublin on the matter: Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, the highly suspected leader of one of two Irish transnational criminal organisations (the Hutch gang), is set to run as a candidate in the newly announced snap election on 29 November.
Hutch has not been sentenced since the late 1980s but remains under suspicion. He is currently caught up in a European money laundering investigation and is, for now, released on bail. More importantly, he is suspected of investing in his gang's drug trade but has yet to be taken to court for it.
According to sources, Hutch's decision to run may be driven by revenge. He reportedly aims to unseat the leader of the left-wing nationalist party Sinn Féin: during a historic trial, a former Sinn Féin councillor had given evidence that the gangster had orchestrated a rival's murder in 2016.
It's not the first time criminals have mingled in Irish elections. Sinn Féin, historically associated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), has for example to this day, candidates and TDs (Irish MPs) suspected or convicted for crimes committed during the Troubles. So, who might Hutch win over? According to a poll, 8% of voters would cast their ballot for the high-profile criminal if he were running in their area – that's as much as the current support for the Green Party and Labour combined. Nearly a quarter of this support comes from Aontú voters, Ireland's closest attempt at a far-right party, currently polling at 3%. Within his constituency, however, the results could be even more surprising, considering his local ”Robin Hood” reputation.