Logan Act: John Kerry Renegotiating Obama’s Iran Deal w/o Authorization

Let’s keep this simple.

Barack Obama is no longer president and John Kerry is no longer his Secretary of State, so WHY is he meddling in foreign affairs against the Trump Administration?

Former Secretary of State John Kerry has fielded dozens of private meetings and phone calls in recent months in an effort to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, as President Trump appears poised to withdraw from the pact.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Kerry, who helped broker the 2015 nuclear agreement, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the United Nations in New York last month to discuss ways to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the formal name for the Iran deal.

He has also met and spoken with a handful of European officials. Last month, he met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, according to the Globe, and spoke by phone with Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s top foreign affairs official. Kerry also reportedly met with French President Emmanuel Macron, both in New York and in Paris.
— The Hill, 5/4/18

This is not an isolated incident when it comes to Kerry’s “shadow diplomacy” disruption.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry recently urged Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to resist President Donald Trump, telling the PA leader to ‘stay strong’ and ‘play for time’ – while suggesting he may make a second bid for the White House.
— Arutz Sheva, 1/24/18

In keeping it simple, Iran is a formal enemy of the United States and it can be argued that John Kerry has no business engaging in any kind of diplomatic discussions with any nation, especially without the expressed permission and logistical guidance of the State Department.

State Sponsors of Terrorism
Designation under the above-referenced authorities also implicates other sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with state sponsors. Currently there are four countries designated under these authorities: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, Sudan, and Syria.
— U.S. Department of State

President Trump has publicly stated his opposition to the mysterious “Iran nuclear deal” with cash payment and his historically justified mistrust of the Iranian regime. The way it went down still stinks.

The Obama administration is acknowledging its transfer of $1.7 billion to Iran earlier this year was made entirely in cash, using non-U.S. currency, as Republican critics of the transaction continued to denounce the payments. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also introduced a bill that prohibits cash payments to Iran and demands transparency on future settlements.

“Sending the world’s leading state sponsor of terror pallets of untraceable cash isn’t just terrible policy,” Royce said. “It’s incredibly reckless, and it only puts bigger targets on the backs of Americans. … This cash bonanza has emboldened Iran’s radical regime, and undermined America’s national security.”
— Los Angeles Times, 9/7/16

While the average American is required to return an employee manual upon leaving a place of employment, it’s not clear how many in the Obama administration still have theirs, which can be extremely problematic for obvious political reasons and Kerry’s unauthorized meetings with an enemy regime could be highly illegal; not like that’s a deterrent.

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.
— 18 U.S. Code § 953 – Private correspondence with foreign governments

This appears to be yet another prime example of Democrats who still refuse to accept the results of the 2016 presidential election and the political “elections have consequences” ramifications that came with it. While the left still considers the “Iran nuclear deal” a monumental success (simply because it was signed off by Obama), they have no business meddling against the ongoing negotiations of the Trump Administration, IF such negotiations are going on at this time or not.

Kerry has been on an aggressive yet stealthy mission to preserve the agreement, using his deep list of contacts to try to apply pressure on the Trump administration from the outside. President Trump has a May 12 deadline to decide whether to continue abiding by deal’s terms.
— Boston Globe, 5/4/18

The unsanctioned John Kerry intervention is obviously not in line with the Trump State Department and for any other American, this would be an easily prosecutable offense.

BTW — In case you’re wondering what Kerry’s doing for an official day job, he’s on the “Advisory Council” at an L Street, DC nonprofit called “Diplomacy Works” alongside other Obama fan favorites like Wendy R. Sherman, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Director of EMILY’S list; Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Puneet Talwar, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf States at the White House National Security Council; Colin H. Kahl, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East at the Pentagon; Robert Malley, Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region, Senior Director on the National Security Council Staff, Special Assistant to the President for Arab-Israeli Affairs (Clinton administration); Jon Finer, Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning for Secretary of State John Kerry; and Jen Psaki, White House Director of Communications, Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, White House Deputy Communications Director, White House Deputy Press Secretary.

A nonprofit whose sole mission is to push back on anyone messing with Obama’s Iran deal.

Diplomacy Works provides information and analysis that empowers policymakers and stakeholders to make the case for upholding the JCPOA as a model of effective foreign policy with diplomacy as the tool of first resort reinforced by our unparalleled military capabilities – a policy which keeps America safe and strong at the same time.
— Diplomacy Works

But since when does the rule of law apply to well-connected, senior federal government officials….