Treason Pure and Simple: Trump and the Ukraine Call

When President Trump called the President of Ukraine on July 25, 2019 and clearly albeit implicitly threatened to not release $391 million of US military aid to Ukraine to push back against continued Russian military expansion into its borders, President Trump committed “treason, pure and simple” as former Massachusetts Governor and current Presidential candidate Bill Well stated on September 23, 2019 on Morning Joe on MSNBC (watch the clip below).

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsiKWeceQqI

In that July call, President Zelensky of Ukraine stated: “We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps. Specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.” In immediate response, President Trump said: “I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it.” Mr. Trump then spent the majority of the conversation urging Zelensky to bring forth claims of corruption against current Presidential candidate and front-runner Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

That request is a crime.

According to the Code of Federal Regulations, namely in 11 CFR § 110.20(g), “No person shall knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation prohibited by paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section.” In subsection (b) of this same law, it clarifies that “A foreign national shall not, directly or indirectly, make a contribution or a donation of money or other thing of value, or expressly or impliedly promise to make a contribution or a donation, in connection with any Federal, State, or local election.” [Emphasis added.]

It is of course clear that Mr. Trump violated this section of the CFR by asking Mr. Zelensky to bring forth corruption claims against his major election challenger, Mr. Biden, as this would be a knowing solicitation of a thing of value in connection with a Federal election. For this alone, Mr. Trump can be impeached, if not for the host of other violations he committed as detailed and evidenced by the Mueller Report.

There is a far more serious issue here.

According to 18 U.S. Code § 2381, treason is defined as follows:

“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort…