President Trump called out former Obama Secretary of State John Kerry for a likely violation of the Logan Act for his working with Iran against the United States.
Trump tweeted his criticism of Kerry as he commented on new harsh sanctions against Iran targeting the state sponsor of terrorism’s for oil exports by the elimination of waivers for importers.
“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?”
The AP reported on the move by the Trump administration to tighten sanctions on Iran:
The White House says the U.S. is ending exemptions from sanctions for countries that import Iranian oil. In a statement, the White House said it was taking “timely action to assure that global demand is met as all Iranian oil is removed from the market.”Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was to discuss the move at the State Department Monday morning. The decision means sanctions waivers for five nations, including China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey, won’t be renewed when they expire on May 2.
The Logan Act, which bars American citizens from negotiating with foreign governments without authorization, has not been used to prosecute anyone. However, it was used by the Obama administration to target Gen. Mike Flynn during the transition when he was recorded speaking with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. to hold off retaliating against Obama administration expulsions of Russian diplomats over Russia meddling on the 2016 presidential election. Flynn was not prosecuted for a Logan Act violation.
Last May CNN reported on Kerry’s “shadow diplomacy”
Former Secretary of State John Kerry has been engaging in shadow diplomacy to try to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, a major diplomatic achievement of his, according to a new report.Over recent months, Kerry has been holding meetings and speaking with big players in the Iran nuclear agreement, who, like Kerry, do not want President Donald Trump to withdraw the US from the deal, The Boston Globe reported.…Citing a person briefed on the meetings, the Globe reported that Kerry had met with Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at the United Nations in New York two weeks ago, their second meeting in about two months, to discuss ways of keeping the deal limiting Iran’s nuclear weapons program intact.
Trump commented on Kerry’s actions at the time:
Later in 2018, Kerry admitted meeting Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif “three or four times”.
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