Trump calls for prosecuting John Kerry for talking to Iran
Kadia Tubman
Reporter
,
Yahoo News•May 9, 2019
President Trump said Thursday that former Secretary of State John Kerry “should be prosecuted” for violating the Logan Act by speaking with Iran.
“What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “John Kerry speaks to them a lot. John Kerry tells them not to call. That’s a violation of the Logan Act, and frankly, he should be prosecuted on that.”
“But my people don't want to do anything,” he continued. “Only the Democrats do that kind of stuff. If it were the opposite way, they’d prosecute him under the Logan Act. But John Kerry violated the Logan Act. He’s talking to Iran and ... has many meetings and many phone calls and he’s telling them what to do. That is a total violation of the Logan Act.”
The 220-year-old federal law criminalizes negotiating with foreign governments by unauthorized persons. No one has been convicted of violating it.
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Saudi Arabia and others in OPEC will more than make up the Oil Flow difference in our now Full Sanctions on Iranian Oil. Iran is being given VERY BAD advice by @JohnKerry and people who helped him lead the U.S. into the very bad Iran Nuclear Deal. Big violation of Logan Act?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2019
Kerry, who served as secretary of State under President Obama, helped deliver the 2015 Iran deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.
In 2018, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal and has since re-imposed sanctions on Iran. Subsequently, Kerry admitted to meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif “three or four times” to discuss ways to save the landmark nuclear deal.
Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
On Sunday, Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton announced the deployment of a bomber task force and carrier strike group to the Middle East to send a “clear and unmistakable message" to Iran not to make “any attack on United States interests or those of our allies.”
Trump, acknowledging the risk of military confrontation, said he was prompted to send an aircraft carrier to Iran because “they were threatening and we have information that you don’t want to know about.”
“Their economy is a mess ever since I took away the Iran deal,” Trump said. “They have inflation that's the highest number I’ve ever heard. They’re having riots every weekend and during the week even. What they should be doing is calling me up, sitting down, we can make a deal, a fair deal.
“And we would help put them back into great shape,” he added.
Kadia Tubman
Reporter
,
Yahoo News•May 9, 2019
President Trump said Thursday that former Secretary of State John Kerry “should be prosecuted” for violating the Logan Act by speaking with Iran.
“What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “John Kerry speaks to them a lot. John Kerry tells them not to call. That’s a violation of the Logan Act, and frankly, he should be prosecuted on that.”
“But my people don't want to do anything,” he continued. “Only the Democrats do that kind of stuff. If it were the opposite way, they’d prosecute him under the Logan Act. But John Kerry violated the Logan Act. He’s talking to Iran and ... has many meetings and many phone calls and he’s telling them what to do. That is a total violation of the Logan Act.”
The 220-year-old federal law criminalizes negotiating with foreign governments by unauthorized persons. No one has been convicted of violating it.
" data-reactid="21" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Saudi Arabia and others in OPEC will more than make up the Oil Flow difference in our now Full Sanctions on Iranian Oil. Iran is being given VERY BAD advice by @JohnKerry and people who helped him lead the U.S. into the very bad Iran Nuclear Deal. Big violation of Logan Act?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2019
Kerry, who served as secretary of State under President Obama, helped deliver the 2015 Iran deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.
In 2018, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal and has since re-imposed sanctions on Iran. Subsequently, Kerry admitted to meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif “three or four times” to discuss ways to save the landmark nuclear deal.
Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
On Sunday, Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton announced the deployment of a bomber task force and carrier strike group to the Middle East to send a “clear and unmistakable message" to Iran not to make “any attack on United States interests or those of our allies.”
Trump, acknowledging the risk of military confrontation, said he was prompted to send an aircraft carrier to Iran because “they were threatening and we have information that you don’t want to know about.”
“Their economy is a mess ever since I took away the Iran deal,” Trump said. “They have inflation that's the highest number I’ve ever heard. They’re having riots every weekend and during the week even. What they should be doing is calling me up, sitting down, we can make a deal, a fair deal.
“And we would help put them back into great shape,” he added.
