“This would seem to be a violation of the Logan Act.
“John Kerry violated the Logan Act,” Trump said during a White House press briefing in May 2019.
That is [a] total violation of the Logan Act.” Kerry was never charged with breaking that law, and he briefed top State Department officials on his discussions.
This is not the first time it’s been suggested that Trump has run afoul of the Logan Act.
However, the Logan Act is rarely enforced.
Susan Rice, a former ambassador to the UN and White House adviser, criticized former President Trump for allegedly having spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin at least seven times since taking office and suggested that such conversations would be illegal under the Logan Act.
Introduced in 1799, the law prohibits American citizens from engaging in negotiations with foreign governments over disputes with the United States without prior authorization. Its purpose is to keep unapproved diplomacy from weakening the position of the current administration.
After a new book by journalist Bob Woodward claimed that Trump, the Republican nominee, had spoken with Putin multiple times since taking office in early 2021, questions were raised about Trump’s compliance with the Logan Act.
The book’s assertions have been largely refuted by Trump’s campaign. Trump, however, has frequently brags about his close relationship with Putin and has exerted pressure on Republicans to prevent Ukraine from receiving military support in its conflict with Russia.
It would appear that the Logan Act has been broken by this. That is precisely what Trump falsely charged John Kerry with. “Yet another apparent Trump crime,” Rice posted on social media on Tuesday.
In her remarks, Rice alluded to Trump’s public pressure campaign against former Secretary of State Kerry over private meetings with Iranian officials in the Trump administration, wherein Tehran was urged to remain in the Obama-brokered Iran Nuclear Deal. After then, Trump withdrew the U. S. based on the agreement.
During a May 2019 White House press briefing, Trump claimed that John Kerry had broken the Logan Act. “Iran is receiving directives from him through numerous phone calls, meetings, and conversations. That is a flagrant violation of the Logan Act. “.
Top State Department officials were briefed on Kerry’s discussions, and he was never charged with breaking that law.
Trump may have violated the Logan Act, according to suggestions made previously.
The former president supposedly discussed a vision for peace in Ukraine with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during their meetings in March and July at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The Biden administration’s support of the Kremlin’s interests has infuriated Hungary. The NATO ally stated earlier this week that it would stall the finalization of a $50 billion Group of Seven loan to Ukraine until after the U. s. election for president. Furthermore, Orbán has made it clear that he believes Trump is superior.
But the Logan Act is rarely put into practice. It has only ever been used to charge two people, one in 1803 and the other in 1852. No one was brought to justice.
