Of course, the Logan Act has never been successfully used against *anyone*, much less a member of Congress.
There are innumerable reasons besides conducting independent foreign policy that a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee would visit an ally to whom we’re providing military aid. Since Trump has (so far) only “paused”, not e…
Of course, the Logan Act has never been successfully used against *anyone*, much less a member of Congress.
There are innumerable reasons besides conducting independent foreign policy that a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee would visit an ally to whom we’re providing military aid. Since Trump has (so far) only “paused”, not eliminated, Ukraine’s military aid (and has since reversed the pause), Kelly’s trip very clearly falls under Congressional oversight powers.
In other words, there’s likely no *more* relevant law, but the Logan Act isn’t on-point either. So if they really do intend to go after Kelly, they might use the Logan Act in a clearly unlawful way, or some other authority in an equally unlawful way.
And of course as we were repeatedly reminded by Trump supporters when Trump and his lackeys were casually called “traitors”, true treason requires supporting a declared enemy of the United States, and Ukraine is not. Even if it becomes one in the future, meetings prior to that status of enmity couldn’t retroactively be illegal.
Of course, the Logan Act has never been successfully used against *anyone*, much less a member of Congress.
There are innumerable reasons besides conducting independent foreign policy that a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee would visit an ally to whom we’re providing military aid. Since Trump has (so far) only “paused”, not eliminated, Ukraine’s military aid (and has since reversed the pause), Kelly’s trip very clearly falls under Congressional oversight powers.
In other words, there’s likely no *more* relevant law, but the Logan Act isn’t on-point either. So if they really do intend to go after Kelly, they might use the Logan Act in a clearly unlawful way, or some other authority in an equally unlawful way.
And of course as we were repeatedly reminded by Trump supporters when Trump and his lackeys were casually called “traitors”, true treason requires supporting a declared enemy of the United States, and Ukraine is not. Even if it becomes one in the future, meetings prior to that status of enmity couldn’t retroactively be illegal.