What law (s) did Junior actually break?

[Kaleva]

Based on what we now know?

I was over at Free Republic lurking to see what is being said about this and the vast majority say that Don Jr. has done nothing wrong. That there are no laws prohibiting what he said he did or what the emails state.

I'm no legal expert but IMO, what we know now points in the direction of crimes having been commited and this needs to be investigated but Don Jr.'s statements and the released emails do not provide enough evidence to be able to charge anyone yet.

[Foamfollower]

1. Soliciting campaign contributions from a foreign national to begin with.

Seeking it from a foreign government is even worse.

A campaign contribution is anything of value, and information has been deemed to be of value in established precedent.

[Kaleva]

15. But Don Jr. says he didn't get anything of value.

[spanone]

21. 'But Don Jr. says'.... he also said this was about adoptions

before he changed his story.

[Kaleva]

22. True dat.

[Sanity Claws]

30. He wanted to get something of value

This is at least an attempted crime. After all if a robber checks out your wallet but takes nothing because you have nothing worth taking, it is at least an attempted robbery.
More likely Jr has the same propensity to lie as his daddy.

[Kaleva]

32. In post #28, it says solicitation itself is a crime.

[pnwmom]

38. He SOLICITED for something of value but he claims he didn't get it. Doesn't matter.

Just soliciting is a felony.

[annabanana]

44. heh

[onenote]

41. can you link to or cite to the "established precedent"?

[Ilsa]

2. Jr. might have broken a campaign finance law, from

what I've read:

§ 110.20 Prohibition on contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements by foreign nationals (52 U.S.C. 30121, 36 U.S.C. 510).

"The law prohibits foreign nationals from providing “anything of value… in connection with” an election." Snip -- http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2017/06/collusion-foreign-government-becomes-crime/

"... investigators will examine whether there were Trump campaign communications or private assurances to foreign nationals—including Russians and associates of Wikileaks acting as their “agents”—to encourage them or help coordinate the dissemination of these materials. Coordination at this level could well trigger the application of other provisions of the rules directed at the political campaign’s acceptance or receipt of the Russian assistance, or even its direct solicitation of it. "

[True Dough]

3. Covered here

“The emails are simply put damning as a legal matter,” explains Ryan Goodman, a former Defense Department special counsel and current editor of the legal site Just Security. “The text of the emails provide very clear evidence of participation in a scheme to involve the Russian government in federal election interference, in a form that is prohibited by federal criminal law.”

Jens David Ohlin, a law professor at Cornell University, is even blunter: “It’s a shocking admission of a criminal conspiracy.”


https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/10/15950590/donald-trump-jr-new-york-times-illegal

[Squinch]

11. Excellent! I'm bookmarking this. Of course the answer is that he is giving Russia

more say in the US Presidential election than US citizens have. But your excerpt words it much better.

[Kaleva]

19. Thanks for your post!

[TeamPooka]

23. It is a RICO level conspiracy.

[Not Ruth]

34. RICO+

Link to tweet

[emulatorloo]

4. That site will rot your brain. The End.

[sunonmars]

5. The Freenazirepublic would advocate witchburning, public lynching if they could

They believe what they believe is all the legal they need.

[Lochloosa]

7. If they could? They do.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. Campaign finance

It is illegal for campaigns to accept anything of value (not necessarily $) from a foreign government.

It also appears Jr. was attempting to collude or conspire with a foreign government's attack on our electoral system. The email chain shows he was aware the lawyer was Russian and representing her government. Dummy didn't call the FBI.

[marylandblue]

8. If the meeting is linked to the DNC emails released 72 hours later

he is an accessory to computer hacking. Also, they discussed dropping Russia sanctions at that meeting in apparent quid pro quo. That could be accepting a bribe.

[annabanana]

45. (most likely the case, IMHO). . . .n/t

[Shell_Seas]

9. Conspiracy to commit election fraud.

[Skraxx]

10. There Are Laws Against Foreign Interference in Elections

[RhodeIslandOne]

12. Donald or Donald Jr could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Ave.....

.....and Free Republic would say he did nothing wrong....

[Different Drummer]

14. IOKIYAR. n/t

[enough]

13. Here's some legal analysis from WaPo today.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/11/donald-trump-jr-may-have-just-crossed-the-legal-line-on-collusion/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_fix-930am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.cf43ef6ea353

[Kaleva]

17. Thanks!

[DanTex]

16. Depends on which legal expert you ask. That's not the point IMO.

The significance of these recent revelations are that, for the first time, they provide proof that the Trump campaign knew Russia was trying to help them win, and the Trump campaign was willing (and eager) to accept assistance from Russia.

Yes, we all knew that already, but there wasn't hard proof until now. We also all know that Trump is a tax cheat and that Trump was heavily involved with Russian criminals for years. But proof is a different thing, and now we have proof that the Trump campaign attempted to collude with Russia.

Whether there is proof of a crime so far depends on interpretation of statute, whether what Don Jr did amounted to conspiring to receive assistance from a foreign national.

But the bigger story is, now we have evidence of collusion. And, given the developments up to now, it's hard to imagine that this is the last evidence of collusion that is going to break.

[trof]

18. False info on his security clearance questionnaire.

[Alhena]

24. That's Kushner, Junior doesn't have clearance

I think the strongest criminal case is against Kushner.

[trof]

26. Oh, I thought he did.

[BainsBane]

20. Collusion

with Russia. Mueller and his team will determine the precise statutes.

[smirkymonkey]

25. What laws did Hillary ever break?

Bookmarking for later.

[Kaleva]

27. Obviously none since even AG Sessions isn't going after her.

[tblue37]

28. From Dahlia Lithwick on slate.com:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/07/donald_trump_jr_isn_t_guilty_of_treason_but_he_likely_committed_this_other.html

*****************
As Fordham University School of Law’s Jed Shugerman lays out, 52 U.S. Code Section 30121 provides that:

It shall be unlawful for—
(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make—
(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election …
(2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) … from a foreign national

This law regarding “contributions and donations by foreign nationals” bars candidates and their associates from “soliciting,” accepting, or receiving anything of value that would benefit their campaign from any foreigners. According to most of the folks I queried, it now appears the elements for a criminal violation of this statute have been met.
*****************

[Kaleva]

31. So Don Jr could be charged with solicitation

Even if he got nothing of value, which is what he says, just going to the meeting with the expectation of getting dirt on Hillary from a foreign national is a crime in of itself.

[NewJeffCT]

36. Thanks - Seth Abramson

had a whole list of laws related to collusion with foreign agents/persons a week or two back. The most serious of which merited life in prison or the death penalty. His twitter feed is very busy with great stuff daily, so it may take time to find it

[C_U_L8R]

29. And lying on SF-86 security clearances.

(corrected - Junior does not have security clearance... but Jared does)
That's perjury with five years in prison for each charge.

[Sissyk]

33. Where can we see a copy of his form?

I can't seem to find one anywhere, and would like to keep up.

Thanks!

[C_U_L8R]

35. Good question

I've only heard details from Senators and the media... like this:

[Sissyk]

39. Thanks!

I didn't think they were "top secret" but I can't find them no matter where I look.

This could get Jared though, if its, in fact, not listed.

[NewJeffCT]

37. Don't forget

last week, Fox News' defense of Trump was "sure they may have colluded, but collusion isn't really illegal..."

even though it most certainly is illegal.

[Gothmog]

40. Collusion is a crime

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9256760

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9256768

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9256774

[Kaleva]

42. A WaPo article says that collusion is a political term and not a legal one

"First, a reframing of the way we think of collusion. Collusion actually is a political term; there's no line in the criminal code that says you go to jail for colluding with a foreign adversary."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/11/donald-trump-jr-may-have-just-crossed-the-legal-line-on-collusion/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_fix-930am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.aaf1f818376e

[Gothmog]

43. Collusion is a political term that equates to aiding and abetting and conspiracy

Conspiracy and aiding and abetting are crimes