Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Biden’s 2016 Call With Ex-Ukraine President Poroshenko Is Leaked – It Could Invoke The Logan Act
Conservative US ^ | 09.16.2020 | Alex Hall

Posted on 09/16/2020 7:07:53 AM PDT by USA Conservative

Last year Joe Biden bragged about how he coerced Ukraine into firing its top prosecutor Victor Shokin by threatening that the Obama administration would pull $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees from them.

While this type of interference in a foreign government by the then-Vice President of the United States is highly inappropriate in itself, what makes it even worse is that the prosecutor he got fired was probing a firm for which his son Hunter Biden worked.

A phone call between Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was leaked on Sept. 15 showing the two former leaders discussing what he could and couldn’t tell the incoming Trump administration, with Biden telling the foreign leader that he wants to stay “deeply engaged” in their diplomatic work as a private citizen.

The New York Post leaked the conversation between ex-Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and vice-President Biden:

At the end of the conversation, while speaking to the then-vice president, Poroshenko could be heard saying that Biden played “an enormous role in bringing peace to my country, and actually save my country. This is my real feeling.”

Biden thanked Poroshenko for his kind words before divulging some of his plans for after he left the White House.

“Well, you’re awfully generous. I don’t plan on going away. As a private citizen, I plan on staying deeply engaged in the endeavor that you have begun and we have begun.

“At least that’s my objective, that’s my objective. But if I go beforehand, I’m worried that they don’t know enough, they will think I’m trying to game them. They will think I am trying to put them in a corner. They will question my motives in going before they are fully briefed. And I’m sure you understand that, you’re a good negotiator,” Biden said toward the end of the leaked conversation.

If you heard the last part of the conversation where Joe Biden says that he will work as a private citizen with another government official.

Maybe it’s time that we invoke the Logan Act.

Even do the Logan Act is a terrible law, and it has never been invoked for a good reason. It was passed in 1799, during a small undeclared naval war, when a Philadelphia Quaker named George Logan attempted to independently negotiate peace between the United States and France. His efforts undermined the political goals of the ruling Federalist Party, and so the law was enacted as a tool to punish anyone else who attempted to follow in Logan’s footsteps.

All which is to say: The very purpose of the Logan Act is to punish political speech that runs counter to the sitting president’s foreign policy goals. Every invocation of the law has been to threaten somebody from an opposing political party for getting involved in foreign policy in a way that displeases whoever has control of the White House. The fact that nobody has actually ever been prosecuted for violating the Logan Act—which would create an opportunity to challenge whether the law itself violates the First Amendment—should be seen as a big red flag whenever it’s mentioned.

But Biden’s action could prove to be enough to invoke the Logan Act: The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized American citizens with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States. The intent behind the Act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government’s position.


TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: blogspam; fraud; howmanyblogsyouhave; hunterbiden; joebiden; theloganact; ukraine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last
To: NTHockey

Damn straight! They impeached our President for so much less when he was the one looking out for our interests and trying to expose blatant corruption.

You all realize exactly what the left would do with something like this... Don’t your???

They just made hay out of the Atlantic’s soldier controversy story and they didn’t have a single source they could name. We have tapes of Biden conspiring against the duly elected leader of this country.
He can’t possibly debate Trump now and be faced with questions about this. He’ll definitely find an excuse to drop out now.


21 posted on 09/16/2020 7:39:18 AM PDT by JerseyDvl ("If you're going through hell, keep going.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: USA Conservative

Puhleeze! NO ONE is going to be indicted for Logan Act Violations. The Swamp won’t allow it, and DJT has not been wholly successful in dismembering the Leviathan.


22 posted on 09/16/2020 7:39:34 AM PDT by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. Mr Trump, we've got your six.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SMARTY

Biden was in government “service” for over 4 decades. It is difficult to imagine a life that would equip a person with more hubris, narcissism, and confidence that they are above it all more than this.

It is a fact. Some people are less vulnerable to such behavior than others, but the majority of our multi-decade politicians feel very insulated from the norms you and I have to follow.

Put yourself in the middle of the swamp and DC bubble with a sycophant media and its even worse. This is why having a ruling class in such a city is harmful to our nation. Most retire from government service and immediately go to work with the think-tanks and other groups that are intertwined within our government like a cancer. They never leave.

Biden became incredibly wealthy along with his family during his time in government service. This is undeniable. Nothing happened to him and nothing happens to any of them.


23 posted on 09/16/2020 7:46:19 AM PDT by volunbeer (Find the truth and accept it - anything else is delusional)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: JerseyDvl

He won’t ditch the debates over this. This is bad, but it pales in comparison to the business transactions of Hunter.

The media will ignore it. That fact-checkers will dismiss it.

They don’t even hide it any more.


24 posted on 09/16/2020 7:48:02 AM PDT by volunbeer (Find the truth and accept it - anything else is delusional)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: USA Conservative

*yawn* wake me up


25 posted on 09/16/2020 7:53:14 AM PDT by Chauncey Gardiner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: volunbeer

You’re right-and I am convinced that it isn’t JUST Democrats.

All the DC crowd are guilty, but Liberals are THE most accomplished and frequent abusers. THEY are increasingly reckless, open and determined in this dishonesty, graft and sense of entitlement.

It’s second nature to all of them. They go to DC to make deals because governing by existing rules and protocols is beyond their abilities, incosistent with the Liberal agenda and is NOT as lucrative.


26 posted on 09/16/2020 8:19:56 AM PDT by SMARTY ('Calling a thing by its right name is the beginning of wisdom.')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: USA Conservative

Ummm, correct me if I am wrong, but at the time of the call, wasnt Biden the current and active Vice-President? Doesnt that make him “authorized”? The Logan act is designed to stop those “unauthorized” Citizens. Other than the President, who else would be more “authorized” to negotiate on behalf of the sitting administration at the time of the call?

Seems like grasping at straws here.


27 posted on 09/16/2020 8:26:17 AM PDT by taxcontrol (Stupid should hurt - Dad's wisdom)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SMARTY

The whole swamp is a fetid cesspool of self-enrichment.

It is identical to the Temple when Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers.

Trump interrupted some of this (not all of it). He was not “of the Swamp” and the politicians, bureaucrats, warhawks, lobbyists, think-tankers, media, and contractors see him as a threat.


28 posted on 09/16/2020 6:11:00 PM PDT by volunbeer (Find the truth and accept it - anything else is delusional)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: USA Conservative

There are other crimes to prosecute. No needto use the Logan Act.


29 posted on 09/16/2020 6:43:24 PM PDT by WASCWatch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson