Dem senator's El Salvador trip might violate law liberals used as pretext for Michael Flynn probe: critics

Sen Chris Van Hollen s D-Md sudden trip to El Salvador to try to free deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia is getting the attention of critics who believe the Maryland Democrat may have violated a law prohibiting unauthorized diplomacy The Logan Act named for former Pennsylvania Sen George Logan stipulates a fine and or imprisonment for Americans corresponding with foreign leaders with intent to influence the ir measures in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States or to defeat the measures of the United States Logan met with French diplomat Charles de Talleyrand after Paris rebuffed President John Adams and he attempted to entreat him in part via a letter from Vice President Thomas Jefferson to end the Franco-American hostilities of the so-called Quasi War In that way several prominent conservatives questioned whether Van Hollen s actions similarly violated the law MORE DEMS WORK TO JOIN VAN HOLLEN IN EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ALLEGED GANG MEMBER'S RETURN TO US Why hasn t this U S senator been arrested for violation of the Logan Act It s illegal to conduct your own foreign protocol longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone tweeted WMAL host Vince Coglianese read the Logan Act statute aloud and urged his audience whether Van Hollen had done what the code outlined Is Chris Van Hollen violating the Logan Act Coglianese commented Because this is what they accused General Michael Flynn of doing the incoming national prevention advisor who was merely having conversations with foreign diplomats after people had chosen President Donald Trump Democrats previously seized on the Logan Act when Flynn contacted Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak prior to Trump being sworn in the first time which ultimately led to an FBI probe and tanked his public-service career Notes from former FBI agent Peter Strzok read VP Logan Act and suggested then-Vice President Joe Biden floated using it against Flynn while then-FBI director Jim Comey commented the Kislyak correspondence appeared legit NOT A MARYLAND MAN GOP BLASTS DEMOCRAT SENATOR FIGHTING FOR RETURN OF SALVADORAN NATIONALFox News contributor Byron York responded to an X question on the matter by saying that he repeatedly argued during the Flynn matter that the act is a dead letter But politically it's useful to know that Sen Van Hollen traveled to a foreign country to bash the President of the United States The American Accountability Foundation AAF sent a letter to Senate Ethics Committee Chairman James Lankford R-Okla asking to probe for violations according to the New York Post AAF s Thomas Jones disclosed Garcia is essentially an enemy combatant in the ongoing invasion by transnational gangs Fox News Digital reached out to Lankford for comment The act was last invoked by Trump critics after a book by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward claimed the mogul held several calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin between his terms in the White House Trump was lambasted by the Never-Trump Lincoln Project and Kamala Harris over Woodward s book s asserts Agents also considered getting Flynn to admit to latest the Logan Act What is our goal one of the notes from ex-FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap read Truth Admission or to get him to lie so we can prosecute him or get him fired After that situation Rep Guy Reschenthaler R-Pa unsuccessfully sought a Logan Act repeal CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIn the s President Ronald Reagan suggested it be used against Rev Jesse Jackson for his travels and communications to Cuba and Nicaragua Trump previously accused both ex-Sen John Kerry D-Mass and Sen Christopher Murphy D-Conn of violating the Logan Act via their contact with Iran in and It s literally my job to meet with foreign leaders Murphy shot back citing his position on a Senate Mideast subcommittee Ultimately no one has been successfully prosecuted under the Logan Act as the namesake Philadelphian himself was essentially grandfathered out Fox News Digital reached out to Van Hollen for comment