Trump May Have Broken the Law When Calling for Boycotts if the NFL Doesnt Fire Peaceful Protesters

[aggiesal]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: PoliticusUSA

By Adalia Woodbury on Sun, Sep 24th, 2017 Donald Trump, Featured News

When Donald Trump tweeted for a boycott of the NFL if team owners didn’t fire players for protesting racism, Trump may have broken a law that is punishable by a fine, jail time or both – and Trump may have further disqualified himself from serving in public office.



Donald Trump sure knows how to unite Americans around football.

When Donald Trump tweeted for a boycott of the NFL if team owners didn’t fire players for protesting racism, Trump may have broken a law that is punishable by a fine, jail time or both – and Trump may have further disqualified himself from serving in public office.

According to Laurence Tribe, Trump’s tweet may have violated US 18, Section 227.

Read more: http://www.politicususa.com/2017/09/24/trump-broken-law-dalling-boycotts-nfl-doesnt-fire-peaceful-protestors.html

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Nothing will happen to Cheetolini

The Greedy One Percenters will look the other way.

[RainCaster]

1. He broke the law every day of his life.

BFD

[SCantiGOP]

2. Lock him up

[bagelsforbreakfast]

3. Like he cares. Who's going to arrest him? Jeff Sessions? n/m

[SergeStorms]

24. Besides,

he'd just "pardon" himself anyway. Trump has always thought that he's above the law, and can do and say anything he damn well pleases without any consequences. He's the type of person I'd love to see imprisoned for extended periods of time.

[elleng]

4. (a)Whoever, being a covered government person, with the intent to influence,

solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation, an employment decision or employment practice of any private entity—
(1)
takes or withholds, or offers or threatens to take or withhold, an official act, or
(2)
influences, or offers or threatens to influence, the official act of another,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.
(b)In this section, the term “covered government person” means—
(1)
a Senator or Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
(2)
an employee of either House of Congress; or
(3)
the President, Vice President, an employee of the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, or any other executive branch employee (as such term is defined under section 2105 of title 5, United States Code).

[Stonepounder]

9. IANAL, but, it seems to me that this law applies only if it is based

solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation

Trump doesn't care if the NFL Player are (R), (D), or (O)ther. He just needs somebody to lash out at and deflect from Mueller and Russia.

[elleng]

13. Maybe/Maybe not. 'MAY have broken the law,'

Tribe suggested.

[onenote]

17. Exactly right. It's not close to a violation of 227

Partisan affiliation in this context means affiliated with a particular political party. Plus it's only unlawful if the government official's attempt to influence an employment decision is backed up by taking or withholding an "official" act or a threat to take or withhold an official act or some effort to get another government official to tak or withhold an official act. While Trump's tweets and speech are abhorrent he didn't back up his call for the NFL to act by taking or withholding any official government action.

[vkkv]

5. LOCK THE FUCKER UP NOW !!!!

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS THE HEAD FUCKIN', FUCKING LYING FUCKER OF HIS ENTIRE FUCKING FAMILY OF OTHER FUCKS.

Not much more to say than that..

[Cryptoad]

6. I am soooo Blessed not to be Donald J Trump!

with all that Hate eating him up from the inside out!

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Donnie Dipstick

just loves the divisiveness he creates. Just can not imagine the tension in those Teams Locker Rooms. Lot of Friendships bit the dust. But Donnie won the day,he got his name mentioned umteen times on the TV.

[Binkie The Clown]

8. So this makes what, the 199th time he's broken the law since taking office?

Like anything is going to happen.

American democracy is broken. Get used to it.

[aggiesal]

16. That's what said ...

The Greedy One Percenters (GOP) will look the other way.

[BlueIdaho]

10. Trump has ZERO respect for this country, its laws and its traditions.

His collapse will be epic.

[brooklynite]

11. There's plenty to go after Trump for...this isn't one

“(a)Whoever, being a covered government person, with the intent to influence, solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation, an employment decision or employment practice of any private entity—

"Taking a knee" doesn't reflect Partisan Political Affiliation

(1)
takes or withholds, or offers or threatens to take or withhold, an official act, or
(2)
influences, or offers or threatens to influence, the official act of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

No Official Act has in this Statute has been influenced.

[spooky3]

14. that was my (layperson's) reaction, too.

[onenote]

18. Din ding ding

I've tried to explain this on several occasions.

[spooky3]

12. Why wouldn't this be a violation of the first amendment? It's an attempt by a governmental official

to interfere in citizens' expression of free speech.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

[brooklynite]

15. No, it's a person's opinion (obnoxious as it is) which carries no more influence than yours.

[spooky3]

22. The pres certainly has more influence than I do, but

I'm not sure that's a relevant consideration. My question is whether or under what conditions a President's attempt to get someone fired would constitute a governmental interference in the NFL players' rights. Since I don't work for the government, my opinion or other action is entirely irrelevant, but the Pres's actions may not be. The NFL owners also would not be subject to first amendment provisions here, because they aren't part of the government.

[onenote]

19. In 2007 Sen Barack Obama

Publicly criticized CBS Radio and MSNBC for merely suspending rather than firing Don Imus. Do you think that was unconstitutional?

[spooky3]

21. You're responding as if I'm arguing a position. I'm asking

Lawyers and anyone else who's an expert on this a factual question.

[Crash2Parties]

20. He's broken a number of laws. W/o the GOP Congress, it doesn't matter.

Which only proves they are every bit as evil as he is and fully complicit.

[Shoonra]

23. This law originally applied only to Members of Congress

Originally 18 USC § 227 applied only to Members of Congress, but in 2012 it was amended to cover "all covered government employees" that included the Prez.

[BadgerMom]

25. He's messing with an important income stream for billionaires.

In my opinion, those folks could be a far greater threat to his Presidency than Paul Ryan could ever be.

[C Moon]

26. It appears he has NO idea how little everyone respects him.

I think he believes everyone is afraid of him, as well.
Probably because he surrounds himself with sycophants.

[trueblue2007]

27. lock him up, he is breaking the law

[muriel_volestrangler]

28. Locking - the hosts feel this is opinion, not news in its own right

Please repost in GD. Thanks.