Submitted by Bill Levinson, Apr 6, 2007 17:45

Robert F. Turner's "Illegal Diplomacy" (Wall Street Journal, April 6, 2007, page A10) alleges that Pelosi may have violated the Logan Act, U.S. Code Title 18 § 953, by conducting unauthorized diplomacy with a hostile foreign power. I am not a lawyer and cannot provide an opinion on whether Pelosi violated the following, but Turner seems to think she did.

§ 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.

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.