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One Count On Manafort Is - Conspiracy Against The United States..... (Original Post) global1 Feb 2018 OP
no handmade34 Feb 2018 #1
My understanding is that legally no. Yonnie3 Feb 2018 #2
It doesn't sound good. mucifer Feb 2018 #3
don't forget, trump only hires the best spanone Feb 2018 #4
No; treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution, The Velveteen Ocelot Feb 2018 #5
The Fact That The GOP & Congress Don't Even Want To Talk About Cyber War And.... global1 Feb 2018 #6

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,267 posts)
5. No; treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution,
Sat Feb 24, 2018, 12:43 PM
Feb 2018

which says: "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court." This clause has been consistently interpreted as requiring the existence of a declared war. While it's certainly arguable that we are at cyber-war with Russia it's not a declared war (and the GOP in Congress don't even want to talk about what is actually happening), so the count of conspiracy against the United States wouldn't be considered treason.

In popular parlance it would be considered treasonous or traitorous, though. But not the actual crime of treason.

global1

(25,166 posts)
6. The Fact That The GOP & Congress Don't Even Want To Talk About Cyber War And....
Sat Feb 24, 2018, 12:49 PM
Feb 2018

Russia's interference in the 2016 election and not really even doing anything about it to prevent further interference in 2018 - are they doing that to protect Trump and his accomplices from the charge of treason? Are they in fact protecting themselves as well?

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