To be fair, the Kasich staffer fired for domestic violence probably passed a background check

A campaign staffer for John Kasich was fired when news broke of his arrest for domestic violence. Some are saying it’s a black eye on the Kasich campaign at a crucial time in the Presidential race. This is wrong for two very important reasons.

First, the arrest was made in November, the month that he was hired. It’s very likely that the staffer would have passed a standard background check because arrest records do not move as quickly as most things in the digital age. It’s strange that this would be the case, but for whatever reason there’s a lag between standard criminal background checks and arrests that have not gone to trial.

Scoop: Kasich campaign aide arrested for domestic violence. Campaign fired him today when I called seeking comment https://t.co/cWxT1oVMw1

— Chrissie Thompson (@CThompTweets) March 5, 2016

The second reason this isn’t really a black eye is because this isn’t a crucial time as some are saying. In fact, it’s a meaningless time. Other than playing spoiler and perhaps positioning himself for a VP tap, Kasich’s campaign has been effectively over for weeks.

Whether or not this has an effect on Kasich’s numbers is unknown, but considering the efforts made by the campaign to stay above the fray, it will likely go unnoticed as it should be.