Sunday, August 31, 2014

First! They did not read the LOGAN ACT! This indicates they must be desperate to conceive of this scheme

First!  They did not read the LOGAN ACT!  This indicates they must be desperate to conceive of this scheme

Congressional Research Service
˜ The Library of Congress
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Order Code RL33265
Conducting Foreign Relations
Without Authority:
The Logan Act
February 1, 2006
Michael V. Seitzinger
Legislative Attorney
American Law Division
Conducting Foreign Relations
Without Authority: The Logan Act
Summary
The Logan Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953, states:
Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without
authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any
correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or
agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States,
or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply, himself or his
agent, to any foreign government or the agents thereof for redress of any injury
which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or
subjects.
The Logan Act was intended to prohibit United States citizens without authority
from interfering in relations between the United States and foreign governments.
There appear to have been no prosecutions under the Act in its more than 200 year
history. However, there have been a number of judicial references to the Act, and it
is not uncommon for it to be used as a point of challenge concerning dealings with
foreign officials. Although attempts have been made to repeal the Act, it remains law
and at least a potential sanction to be used against anyone who without authority
interferes in the foreign relations of the United States. continues at source http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33265.pdf


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