- Sat May 05, 2018 9:56 am
#102992
The Logan Act is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized persons with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States. The intent behind the Act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government's position.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry has been using diplomatic backchannels to communicate with Iranian officials in order to keep former President Barack Obama’s infamous Iran nuclear deal on life support.Kerry also met last month with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and he’s been on the phone with top European Union official Federica Mogherini, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal the private meetings. Kerry has also met with French President Emmanuel Macron in both Paris and New York, conversing over the details of sanctions and regional nuclear threats in both French and English. A State Department spokeperson said they were unaware Kerry would be holding the talks while expressing concern he may be derailing Trump's ongoing discussions on the Iran deal.Where is the hell is Sessions?
“It is unusual for a former secretary of state to engage in foreign policy like this, as an actual diplomat and quasi-negotiator,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution.
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump, pointed to the Logan Act when it was discovered that former national security adviser Michael Flynn discussed policy issues with a Russian envoy after Trump was elected but before former President Barack Obama left office.
“John is a friend of mine. I've known him for a long, long time. But remember how this investigation against Trump begins,” Dershowitz said. “It begins by the theory that people in the Trump campaign may be violating the Logan Act, by going and speaking to people when they haven't yet been president."
