An essay in this morning's argues that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, may well have committed a felony by traveling to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
, a State Department official during the Reagan administration, writes: Of course, not all congressional travel to, or communications with representatives of, foreign nations is unlawful. A purely fact-finding trip that involves looking around, visiting American military bases or talking with U.
S. diplomats is not a problem. Nor is formal negotiation with foreign representatives if authorized by the president.
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Ms. Pelosi's trip was not authorized, and Syria is one of the world's leading sponsors of international terrorism. It has almost of American military personnel from Beirut to Baghdad.
The U.S. is in the midst of two wars authorized by Congress.
For Ms. Pelosi to shortsighted; it may well be a felony, as the Logan Act has been part of our criminal law for more than two centuries. Perhaps it is time to enforce the law.
The sets out the punishment for unauthorized U.S. citizens who directly or indirectly commences or government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States.
(Here is some on the law.
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