I believe that anyone who supports or defends someone who solicited or accepted anything of value from a foreign government or a foreign national for the purpose of interfering in the democratic election of the USA, is guilty of aiding and abetting treason. It violates 52 US Code Section 30121 to solicit or accept anything of value from a foreign national or a foreign government in a election campaign. Donald Trump clearly solicited Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election when he publicly asked them to find Hillary Clinton’s emails. Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort clearly accepted something of value when they met with a Russian attorney at Trump Tower in June 2016 to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, and they knew it was illegal because they tried to hide it by lying and saying the meeting was about a Russian adoption program. Donald Trump participated in the lie by dictating an explanation of the meeting, again claiming it was about a Russian adoption program. Paul Manafort clearly conspired with Russia to interfere in the election by sharing internal polling data of battle ground states with Russian intelligence. Russia attempted to deliver on dirt on Hillary Clinton through the timed release of emails from John Podesta and the DNC by Wikileaks.
These are only a few examples of criminal conspiracy and violation of election laws that were reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post before the Mueller Report was released and that the Mueller Report confirmed. Although these acts don’t fit the definition of treason that was understood in 1789 or 1948 related to the use of the word “war”, cyberwar is considered as war today, and therefore it is prudent to consider these acts as treason.
Those who defend and support treason, regardless of their reasons for supporting it, are guilty of aiding and abetting treason. Everyone in Trump’s circle as well as those who vote for him and those who publicly support him on social media or articles written in the media or on public airwaves are aiding and abetting treason.
This is indeed a very serious charge. The penalty for treason is death. Trump has publicly accused members of the press, career FBI and intelligence employees and anyone who opposes him of treason. The time has come to charge people who have actually committed treason, of treason. This should not be done as a political tactic or strategy, but in order to protect and defend the United States of America.
“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)”
18 U.S. Code § 2381. Treason
Republicans are promoting that the legitimate use of U.S. firms with offices in foreign countries is equivalent to soliciting and accepting something of value from a foreign government or a foreign national in connection with an election. Whether they actually believe that or not is not important. The important thing is that it is not the same according to the law or by any prudent person. Republicans are promoting that Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump, is guilty of treason because her campaign openly used U.S. based firms for legitimate opposition research.
You make a compelling argument, TOCB. What is known today is far more transparent knowledge of the man overall than what was known during the 2016 campaign, which leaned heavily on Trump being a sexual predator – not an overseas engaging treasonous candidate. Your argument re treason by Americans voters in 2016 seems grounded in fact – but in fact the full picture regarding candidate Trump wasn’t anywhere what it is today. And it was one that appeared in 2016 to equally capture Hillary Clinton as someone also engaging in foreign influence peddling too.
As we head into the primary process for the selection of our next president, the American people require the guarantee of a process all our own. Without a doubt every week we witness our elected leaders holding back on impeachment proceedings – we keep every American paralyzed, while we simultaneously attempt to find fault with the people too.
We are a nation in crises and in contempt of our own constitution – paralyzed by it – not freed. Get on with it, members of the House Judiciary. Stop blaming me. Or my neighbor. Stop selling the presumed necessity of the process. We the people aren’t the ones opposed to it. We the people are the upholders of the reasons our constitution provides for impeachment. We the people are the ones who provided every member of the US Congress their privileged seats as representatives of the people. If those elected members we seated can’t or won’t do their jobs – is that OUR fault?
The corruption is openly treasonous IMO.