May 4, 2018

"John Kerry-Iran deal report sparks chatter about potential Logan Act violation."

Headline at The Washington Examiner.
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted in response to the Boston Globe report: "OMG! Logan Act violations!! Send in the G Men..."

Meanwhile, Tom Fitton, who heads the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, said "Kerry making quiet play to save Iran deal with foreign leaders: report. I'm waiting for the Left to scream treason and for Sally Yates to invoke the Logan Act and demand a criminal investigation."

He was referring to former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was concerned that former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn had violated the Logan Act during the presidential transition period after he discussed policy issues with a Russian envoy....

73 comments:

Sebastian said...

JFK has always been on the side of our adversaries.

Mike Sylwester said...

Sally "The Logan Act Enforcer" Yates is a perjurer. In a televised Congressional hearing she testified under oath that she herself did not leak the information about Michael Flynn's telephone call with the Russian Ambassador. Furthermore, she testified that she did not know who leaked the information.

The top of the Intelligence Community is filled with leakers and perjurers.

Michael K said...

Kerry has extensive experience with treason.

BamaBadgOR said...

Sally Yates has gotten off way too easy during all this.

Big Mike said...

What BamaBadgOR just write.

Big Mike said...

Wrote. What he wrote.

Hagar said...

"It is different when we do it."

Rob said...

Put him under house arrest and make him stay with Teresa. That's punishment enough.

Leland said...

I'm not holding my breath the Sessions will order an investigation into Kerry or that we see federal agents raiding his home.

Big Mike said...

For myself, i fon’t much mind Kerry meeting with Zarif to discuss ways to keep the agreement in place — provided Kerry told him unequivocally that the only way the agreement would hold is if Iran lives up to its side of the bargain.

buwaya said...

Hmmm.

Kerry is conducting his own foreign policy?

This is not unprecedented.
There were those "human shield" people in Iraq for instance.
Kerry does not currently hold an official position, and the US is not at war with Iran, and the Logan act seems unenforceable anyway - see the human shields.

So fair enough as far as that goes, I guess.
Its unseemly for an ex-Senator and an ex-Secretary of State to conduct his own foreign policy opposed to the official policy of the USG, but seemliness has long since been demode.

Hagar said...

I still think the only "deal" was in Obama's head. The ayatollahs and the generals have screamed from day one they will not be bound by any pact with the infidel limiting Iran's sovereignty.

rcocean said...

I thought we were so OVER John Kerry.

We have to talk about him - again?

rcocean said...

The Logan act - like so many things - flip-flops from being a joke to a serious law - depending on whether a Republican is involved.

Gahrie said...

JFK has always been on the side of our adversaries.

Pshaw!As Farmer will tell you, the U.S. has no adversaries...just countries we abuse and provoke.

tcrosse said...

Hey John, why the long face ?

Seeing Red said...

Tip and Teddy and the Soviets.


A statement needs to be issued that Mr. Kerry is a private citizen. No promises or assurances he makes are worth anything since he dies nit speak for the USG and for shame adding to all that global warming.

rehajm said...

It isn’t serious business unless James Taylor is involved...

Birkel said...

The Logan Act is unenforceable.

Ken B said...

Birkel, of course it is, just as it was when the democrats were screaming about it with the trump transition. No-one is seriously suggesting charging Kerry. They are mocking the hypocrisy.

Birkel said...

Ken B,
I am aware. Sometimes I comment for the unaware. It's a personal failure of mine.

;-)

Rusty said...

What's in it for Kerry?

Browndog said...

Yes, Kerry is probably in violation of the Logan Act, at least is spirit. Yes, no one has ever been convicted of the legislative atrocity, but no matter. We used it to get Gen Flynn fired, and inform President Trump that we are spying on him and his cohorts, and will crush him. You see, if we accuse our political enemies of what we are in fact doing first, we are inoculated, and have free reign to continue to do...those things.

It's Brilliant.

-Thoughts of Bill Clinton

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Democrats can commit any crime they want. Criminals helping criminals.

gspencer said...


And where did Kerry and the ever-yelling Iranian Mohammad Javad Zarif meet?

Why, at the World Headquarters of the NWO. No, silly, not at the UN; the UN is just stupid window dressing. The real power meets where their real decisions are made,

Pratt House
58 East 68th Street at Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065

Didya get the right answer? Yep, the Council on Foreign Affairs,

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/422459/Zarif-to-address-CFR-on-Iran-U-S-ties

Pettifogger said...

There once was an act named Logan.
It was often used as a slogan
To go after Trump
But not Kerry's rump.
Of that not a word will be spoken.

Mike Sylwester said...

Michael Flynn was vulnerable to RUSSIAN BLACKMAIL because he had violated THE LOGAN ACT

... said Sally "The Logan Act Enforcer" Yates.

buwaya said...

IIRC Obama did a tour somewhat in this vein, going places shortly after Trump did an official visit or when the boss came over.

China and India and France.

Michael K said...

Its unseemly for an ex-Senator and an ex-Secretary of State to conduct his own foreign policy opposed to the official policy of the USG, but seemliness has long since been demode.

Kerry has been an embarrassment to everyone outside Massachusetts since 1968. He went to Vietnam on the assumption he had a safe spot as an admirals Aide. Suddenly he found himself in the Swift Boat fleet. He managed to shoot himself in the ass to get a purple heart. then another purple heart for a scratch and he wrote his own silver star recommendation when the commanding officer was away.

He accused fellow military men of atrocities in Congress, then threw away his silver star that reappeared on his Senate office wall.

Lies are not a fair description of this man's career.

Charlie Eklund said...

John Kerry has about as much business negotiating with foreign governments as I do. And exactly as much power to fulfill what he negotiates as I do. Which is none. All he can really do is continue to look like an idiot, just as he has for the entire time he’s been in public
life.

Pass the popcorn.

Browndog said...

The Saudi's announced that they will build Christian churches in their Kingdom, to service their Christian citizens. Historic, in the fact the House of Saud even acknowledges they have Christians in Arabia, let alone let them worship.

I suspect Kerry and Brennan, on behalf of the "real American government", will advise against it.

Bay Area Guy said...

John Kerry is a joke.

The Logan Act is a joke - a whopping 2 convictions under it in 200 years.

Sally Yates is a joke.

David Begley said...

Why doesn’t Kerry just go away? Spend time at his six or seven houses? Ride his bike. Write a book. Get more plastic surgery.

Birkel said...

2 convictions, Bay Area Guy? Are you sure?

Birkel said...

Lisa Page out at DOJ.

todd galle said...

David B - it's not his money necessarily. He marries rich widows. John Kerry has become Pennsylvania's shame. I don't know what he had on Theresa (another Heinz import), but it must have been something. That she would shove over the memory of John Heinz for that so and so. My wife still won't buy Heinz products (except for the small catsup bottle she tries to hide in the back of the fridge). Still, except for that they're cut, no mustard, 57 sauce, etc. I'm from central PA, but I bet Pittsburgh and western PA folks have even more scope to gripe.

chuck said...

> Kerry has been an embarrassment to everyone outside Massachusetts since 1968.

I thought Kerry was the perfect senator for Massachusetts; he accomplished very little. If Ted Kennedy had been as lazy and inept we would all be better off.

Browndog said...

1 case tried, no convictions under the Logan Act.

Christy said...

Will this not justify a FISA warrant on John Kerry's communications?

Birkel said...

Browndog,
Thanks for the info about Ben Rhodes.

Browndog said...

John Keery's treasonous hot dogging are bound to ketchup with him.

..I'll see myself out-

Browndog said...

You bet, Birk-

Enjoy the weekend.

traditionalguy said...

Kerry/Soros/Obama and various EU apparatchiks are desperate to save the Iran Deal ( that never became a Treaty by US Senate confirmation.)for only one reason: CASH. Their owned front companies are getting Billions of dollars in kickback deals and stashes of CASH and gold bars on pallets.

The end of that criminal deal cometh, probably this month.

Lewis Wetzel said...

If Kerry is doing this, it is probably part of an organized effort undertaken by a number of Obama officials.

Michael K said...

If Ted Kennedy had been as lazy and inept we would all be better off.

Good point, Did you see "Chappaquidick?"

Lewis Wetzel said...

From Birkel's NY Times link:

In the messages, they expressed anti-Trump views but took aim at Hillary Clinton and other political figures as well.

That's like saying that Hitler was anti-Semitic, but he also disliked Italians & the japanese.

Big Mike said...

Hey! Lighten up folks. What if John Kerry was merely explaining to Zarif that they signed it, now they really, truly have to abide by it?

Also, what if pigs had wings?

Lewis Wetzel said...

I still do not understand how Obama could give pallets of cash to the Mullahs. Congress can spend the people's money, not the prez. The left was ready to impeach Reagan over arms for hostages.
There is an important principle at stake. The Kaiser & Bismarck were able to expand the German Empire because the kaiser had his own funds to spend on military adventurism. If the burghers had control of the royal purse history would have turned out quite differently, and probably for the better.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Mr. Baker said in a telephone interview that he would be joining the Brookings Institution to write for Lawfare, its blog focused on national security law.
No mention by the NYT that the Brookings Institution is a liberal thinktank. The Times is like an anti-newspaper, it strives to conceal the information its readers need to reach a considered opinion.

Bay Area Guy said...

Sorry, 2 indictments under the Logan Act in 200+ years, and no convictions.

From wiki: "Only two people have ever been indicted on charges of violating the Act,[3] one in 1802 and the other in 1852.[4] Neither was convicted of violating the Act.[4]"

Achilles said...

The night of the long knives approaches.

Jay Vogt said...

I'll bet he get taken less seriously, bereft of a pallet of half a billion euros.

Molly said...

(Eaglebeak)

Speaking at NRA convention today, Trump commented on John Kerry's negotiating skills:


http://dailycaller.com/2018/05/04/trump-john-kerry-nra-video/

walter said...

Big Mike said...
Hey! Lighten up folks. What if John Kerry was merely explaining to Zarif that they signed it, now they really, truly have to abide by it?
Also, what if pigs had wings?
--
Bacon drones

chuck said...

> Also, what if pigs had wings?

We'd all need bigger umbrellas.

Martin said...

I am sure the Iranians always viewed Kerry as what he was---their patsy. So, now they humor him a bit to get some good media.

Bob Loblaw said...

We should get rid of the Logan Act. How could you possibly prosecute someone on a law that's been so routinely violated?

Birkel said...

Bob Loblaw,
I think the fact the Logan Act violates the First Amendment is the more problematic part.

The Drill SGT said...

It's not the First time Kerry has acted in concert with enemies of the United States during a conflict. See the Paris Peace talks of 1972...

The Drill SGT said...

On a different note, many former Sec States continue to keep a courtesy security clearance, "in case..." see Hillary. If Kerry has one, terminate it. Don't do an admin downgrade, terminate it. For among other things, not reporting contacts with agents of a foreign power.

Lyle said...

Assuming Sally Yates was a competent, non-partisan federal employee... yep, John Kerry is probably a criminal.

Iran is a greater enemy than Russia... Iran executes LGBT.

DavidD said...

When will Althouse inveigh against “reign” in place of “rein” in expressions like “free reign”?

Pettifogger said...

Some people use the word "reign,"
When word they need is "rein,"
Unless they mean "rain,"
It"s all such a pain.
How long will this silliness reign?

Owen said...

Pettifogger:

About your refrain
I too will complain
Of those who use reign
With kingly disdain
For meaning so plain
Yet corrected in vain



Fritz said...

Birkel said...
Bob Loblaw,
I think the fact the Logan Act violates the First Amendment is the more problematic part.

Fine, we can use Kerry's trial to litigate it.

Matt Sablan said...

The Logan Act is a bludgeon only against certain people.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Birkel said...
The Logan Act is unenforceable.

5/4/18, 8:32 PM


Yeah, but PDJT could use it to collect Kerry's comms, and those of everybody he knows, and of everybody they know. Seems fair to me.

Clyde said...

John Kerry is a worthless wastrel who does not speak for the United States of America. He has no more power to influence our national foreign policy than my cat Winston.

Tim said...

Since Mueller and his left wing gong show entourage are stilling looking for a crime, may they can use this instead of digging their grave deeper.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Clyde said...
John Kerry is a worthless wastrel who does not speak for the United States of America. He has no more power to influence our national foreign policy than my cat Winston.

5/5/18, 2:29 PM


Yeah, but he'd sure look good at a yardarm, wouldn't he?

Paul said...

Time for Lurch to be in the slammer.

He ain't just throwing fake medals over the fence this time.

Aggie said...

Trump should ignore Kerry's activities and privately direct the DOJ (Sessions) and the new SOS to confront and shame Kerry publicly. Kerry's ego will not be able to stand being ignored by Trump and dressed down by his minions. It would send exactly the right message to that pompous idiot, and many others like him, to point out what just minor little people they really are.

William said...

They need to take old John effing Kerry's passport away from him for a while.