General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsContrary to media reports, "collusion" is mentioned in the US Code of Law
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/201<snip>
(B) to influence such public official or person who has been selected to be a public official to commit or aid in committing, or collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or
(C) to induce such public official or such person who has been selected to be a public official to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such official or person;
(2) being a public official or person selected to be a public official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for:
(A) being influenced in the performance of any official act;
(B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or
(C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of the official duty of such official or person;
(3) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers, or promises anything of value to any person, or offers or promises such person to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent to influence the testimony under oath or affirmation of such first-mentioned person as a witness upon a trial, hearing, or other proceeding, before any court, any committee of either House or both Houses of Congress, or any agency, commission, or officer authorized by the laws of the United States to hear evidence or take testimony, or with intent to influence such person to absent himself therefrom;
(4) directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity in return for being influenced in testimony under oath or affirmation as a witness upon any such trial, hearing, or other proceeding, or in return for absenting himself therefrom;
shall be fined under this title or not more than three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater, or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years, or both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.
pbmus
(12,422 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)to a Narrative of Collusion being a non issue. We now have a On Air Talent on MSNBC spinning this narrative and she is backing Comcast's attempt at this with so called guess that back her up.
Notice also,Ms.Vance is eating her alive.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)signing Tax and FCC Regs . Love to be a fly on the wall at MSNBC/NBC morning pre-production meetings.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)would be conspiracy - conspiring to commit computer crimes, money laundering, etc.
<snip>
If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
If, however, the offense, the commission of which is the object of the conspiracy, is a misdemeanor only, the punishment for such conspiracy shall not exceed the maximum punishment provided for such misdemeanor.
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)when there have been strikes/lockouts in pro sports - the owners colluded to lock the players out or whatever.
Response to kentuck (Original post)
Post removed
kentuck
(111,110 posts)Can you explain your interpretation? It seems pretty straightforward to me.
onenote
(42,782 posts)What public official did Trump bribe?
Saviolo
(3,283 posts)"something of value" doesn't have to be money. Offering to change the US official policy on the Crimean Peninsula in exchange for dirt on Hillary, for instance, could be collusion.
onenote
(42,782 posts)hedda_foil
(16,375 posts)onenote
(42,782 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,047 posts)asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)what you mean by "under that language" - seems pretty clear - conspiracy - collusion, lying, all punishable in the language of the LAW!!
former9thward
(32,097 posts)And leaving out the most relevant sections.
So I help help out by posting the rest:
(a) For the purpose of this section
(1) the term public official means Member of Congress, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, either before or after such official has qualified, or an officer or employee or person acting for or on behalf of the United States, or any department, agency or branch of Government thereof, including the District of Columbia, in any official function, under or by authority of any such department, agency, or branch of Government, or a juror;
(2) the term person who has been selected to be a public official means any person who has been nominated or appointed to be a public official, or has been officially informed that such person will be so nominated or appointed; and
(3) the term official act means any decision or action on any question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy, which may at any time be pending, or which may by law be brought before any public official, in such officials official capacity, or in such officials place of trust or profit.
(b) Whoever
(1) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person who has been selected to be a public official, or offers or promises any public official or any person who has been selected to be a public official to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent
(A) to influence any official act; or
This law is about bribing pubic officials. This law has nothing to do with the Mueller investigation and no one has even alleged it.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)"or an officer or employee or person acting for or on behalf of the United States, or any department, agency or branch of Government thereof, including the District of Columbia, in any official function, under or by authority of any such department, agency, or branch of Government, or a juror.."
And how do we know it is not about "bribery"?
Who would have been an "employee" or "person acting for or on behalf"?
I think you write it off too quickly.
The major point of the OP was to make the point that "collusion" is mentioned in the US Code.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,047 posts)You don't make the distinction.
However, Flynn in December making offers to the Russian Ambassador was "acting on behalf of the US", as part of the Transition, even though he did not officially have the power to do so. That's one of several reasons he was forced to plea bargain with a guilty plea to the lesser lying charge.
shraby
(21,946 posts)It could be an agreement to do something legal, illegal, grossly criminal.
It could be colluding to give poor people boxes of food, or collude to rob a bank. Very simple.
Just because something doesn't happen, the fact remains they agreed (colluded) to commit and act. They planned it.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Sounds about right.
triron
(22,026 posts)This is a good read: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/12/what-is-collusion-215366