Donald Trump May Have Violated Another Federal Law—Legal Analyst

Story by Natalie Venegas. October 13, 2024.

  • Alleged Phone Calls: Bob Woodward’s new book claims that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had up to seven phone calls since early 2021.
  • Logan Act Violation: Legal analyst Glenn Kirschner suggests these calls might violate the Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized diplomacy with foreign governments.
  • Denials: Both Trump and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov have denied the allegations, calling them false.
  • Historical Context: The Logan Act has rarely been enforced, with only two prosecutions in its history, neither resulting in a conviction.

“A violation of the Logan Act carries with it up to three years in prison. So yes, we all want to know; Did Donald Trump violate the Logan Act? And here’s the answer. He might have,” Kirschner said.

He added: “And the reason I have to phrase it that way is because what we know based on blockbuster new reporting by Bob Woodward…there are reports Donald Trump has as many as seven phone calls, private phone calls with Vladmir Putin. Here is the sticking point right now, the devils in the details, what we have no reporting on is precisely what those phone conversations involve.”

Kirschner said that “based on the evidence that’s been reported there is enough evidence of potential crime that the FBI can and should have open investigations into the nature of these phone calls.” Here are the key points from the article: