" Sec. 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."
Ah, so this is the law that Jimmy Carter should have been prosecuted under when he went to North Korea to negotiate foreign policy on behalf of the United States with no official clearance. Actually, his "negotiations" consisted of outlandish promises that not even Clinton could agree to. Now that's going some!! During Klinton's tenure, he gave away everything but the kitchen sink.
"Wait Akmed!"
"We can't eat no pork, he a racist pig"
One could argue that Jimmy ("Neville Chamberlain") Carter was opeating under color of authority, since Clinton sort of asked him to go.
Jesse Jackson's case is much more straightforward. Someone (or lots of someones, hint...hint) should remind Mr. Ashcroft of this statute...
--Boris