The Logan Act, enacted January 30, 1799 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”.
Text 18 U.S.C. Section 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments
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 of agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the Untied 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.
In April 2018, former Secretary of State John Kerry secretly met with the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
When questioned Kerry admitted that he met with the Iranian Foreign Minister three or four times. In fact, Kerry was not authorized by the United States government.
Kerry’s actions were to ensure that the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by both him and former President Barack Obama remained intact. This attempt was done in direct violation of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo terminating the Iran nuclear deal.
In essence, John Kerry was trying to undermine the measures of the Trump Administration. President Donald Trump said that former Secretary of State John Kerry should be prosecuted under the Logan Act for speaking with Iranian officials and criticizing his Iranian Policies. Both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Marco Rubio are asking Attorney General William Barr to investigate whether former Secretary of State John Kerry violated the Logan Act.
This is not the first time that John Kerry has attempted to disparage the United States. I have not forgotten John Kerr’s testimony on April 23, 1971 regarding the “Winter Soldier Investigation.”
Who can forget when he savaged our brave Soldiers to make a name for himself. Kerry testified that, “They told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam”.
Is it any wonder why that when John Kerry ran for president the brave men he served with came forward to let the public know that they could never vote for a man whose persona was repugnant and unfit to serve. They came forward to speak of their Moral Outrage at a man who disgraced the Uniform they loved. John Kerry has not changed in all these years, he is still full of hubris and should now pay the price he so justly deserves.
Jack Lipsky
Great Neck
