Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell she believes what Donald Trump called a joke about the Russians possibly hacking Hillary Clinton’s email may have violated US law and he should be investigated for saying it.
McCaskill told Mitchell, “It’s very clear to me that Donald Trump is unfit, and frankly he’s dangerous. I believe that there’s a chance he violated the law with what he said, inviting a cyberattack of Russia – a dictator. Who has violated all of our principles of liberty and freedom in Russia. The notion he would invite a foreign nation to conduct and attack against our country, it’s just beyond the pale. And I believe it violates the Logan Act, and I think he should be investigated for that.”
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The Logan Act, enacted in 1799, reads:
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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.
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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.