Those of you who have followed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) recent ill-advised trip to Syria might be interested in a quick read of the Logan Act (USC Title 18, Part I, Chapter 45, §953). The Act, passed in 1799, makes it a felony for any U.S. citizen to involve himself in foreign relations without the “authority of the United States”—meaning presidential authorization, since the president has constitutional authority over foreign affairs. Pelosi clearly intended to affect our (and other nations’) relations with terror-supporting Syria, and certainly did not have presidential blessing to do so. She’s unlikely to be prosecuted this time, but probably ought to avoid committing felonies in the future.
Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.