[Vision2020] Jim DeMint's Coup

[Wayne Price]

§ 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 or agent thereof, with intent to influence  
the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of 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.
1 Stat. 613, January 30, 1799, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).

The first question would be, Does his actions have any thing to do  
with "any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to  
defeat the measures of the United States" ?
The second question is: "Is the Logan Act  Constitutional"?  The  
Southern District of New York in Waldron v. British Petroleum Co., 231  
F. Supp. 72 (S.D.N.Y. 1964), mentioned in passing that the Act was  
likely unconstitutional due to the vagueness of the terms "defeat" and  
"measures," but did not rule on the question.

I'm not sure either political party wants to raise the question.








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On Oct 1, 2009, at 7:13 PM, Mike Deleve wrote:

> There is.... it's called the logan act.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 6:54 PM
> Subject: [Vision2020] Jim DeMint's Coup
>
>
>> Courtsy of "Talking Points Memo" at:
>>
>> http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/01/jim_demints_coup/
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------
>>
>> "Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has announced that he is heading down to
>> Honduras to encourage those who helped fund and supported the coup  
>> against
>> Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to resist American pressure to  
>> return
>> Zelaya to office."
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------
>>
>> There has GOT to be a law somewhere against a sitting US senator  
>> visiting
>> a foreign power and encouraging them to resist United States efforts.
>>
>> Seeya at NuArt Theater, Moscow.
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to  
>> change
>> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>>
>> - Unknown
>>
>>
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