Radio's Levin levels anti-Trump senator who met Iran's Zarif

FPI / February 20, 2020

Is no one really above the law, as Democrats so often contend? Or is there indeed a two-tier system of justice in the D.C. swamp?

For your consideration: The Logan Act is a federal law that prohibits unauthorized negotiations with foreign governments that are having a dispute with the United States.

In 2017, Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut called for the Department of Justice to investigate former national security adviser Michael Flynn for allegedly violating the Logan Act.

“Any effort to undermine our nation’s foreign policy, even during a transition period, may be illegal and must be taken seriously,” Murphy said at the time, following reports of leaks of a phone call Flynn had with a Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

Fast forward to 2020.

Murphy on Tuesday confirmed reports that he met secretly with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Munich during a security conference last week.

A State Department official said the department was not aware of the meeting between Murphy and Zarif. The Connecticut Democrat claimed in a tweet that he met with Zarif because "it’s dangerous not to talk to adversaries, [especially] amidst a cycle of escalation."

Radio and television host Mark Levin wondered if Murphy violated the Logan Act.

“Did leftwing Trump-hating senator, Chris Murphy, violate the Logan Act by meeting secretly with Iran’s foreign minister? Did he interfere with American foreign policy?” Levin said in a Tuesday morning tweet.

Levin followed with a second tweet, asking: “Will there be a special counsel and ethics investigation? How about an expulsion proceeding? Are the media in a frenzy over this act of disloyalty? Inquiring minds want to know."

President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “I saw that Senator Murphy met with the Iranians, is that a fact? I just saw that on the way over. Is there anything I should know? Because that sounds like, to me, a violation of the Logan Act."

The president added: "This is why Iran is not making a deal. Must be dealt with strongly!"

Murphy has been a staunch critic of the Trump administration, saying in January that Trump made the U.S. a “literal laughingstock” following the death of Iranian terrorist chief Qasem Soleimani.

"The damage has been done to the U.S. national security since the targeting of Qasem Soleimani. I don’t think the administration gamed out how badly this would go for us,” Murphy told ABC News last month. "We are going to now have to engage in all sorts of repair work to try and keep our troops from being kicked out of Iraq, to try to repair our reputation with that government, to set to try to suspend or counter-ISIS operations.”

Following his meeting with Zarif, Murphy said: "But if Trump isn’t going to talk to Iran, then someone should. And Congress is a co-equal branch of government, responsible along with the Executive for setting foreign policy. A lack of dialogue leaves nations guessing about their enemy’s intentions, and guessing wrong can lead to catastrophic mistakes."

The Senate recently voted on a war powers resolution aimed at reining in Trump's actions against Iran. The resolution received a majority vote but ultimately failed to garner the two-thirds majority needed to overcome Trump's veto.

Free Press International