Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is now central to Donald Trump’s election campaign, has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin for the past two years, according to a report in the US.
The Wall Street Journal, citing several in-post and former US, European and Russian officials, reported that the conversations between the two men ranged from the personal to the geopolitical and included a request from the Russian leader not to activate his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to the Chinese leader and Putin ally, Xi Jinping.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Putin is deploying underage honey-trapping on these guys like Trump/Elon/Tucker/etc., covertly filming it, and then blackmail owning them thereafter.
He doesn’t have to. They all envy his position of power ( dictatorship).
Is t there a law that says private citizens shouldn’t be representing the US with foreign leaders?
If he wasn’t the richest being in the known universe, he’d be fighting an indictment right now.
Why yes there is, from the 19th century. But it’s not about abortion, so surely is unenforceable.
Now there’s an immigrant destroying the country
Ah
I wonder if musk envy’s Putin or the other way around, maybe it’s both?
Isn’t this espionage/treason? He has security clearance, he should not have contact with foreign government officials or sabotage our allies.
Also a potential breach of ITAR.
Absolutely, but he’s rich so it’s okay.
Rich and a Republican
Death penalty for treason would be a fitting end to Musk’s story, I think. It doesn’t look like anyone has gotten a death sentence under federal treason laws since the Civil War, though.
The terms used in the definition derive from English legal tradition, specifically the Treason Act 1351. Levying war means the assembly of armed people to overthrow the government or to resist its laws. Enemies are subjects of a foreign government that is in open hostility with the United States.[6] Treason does not distinguish between participants and accessories; all persons who rebel or intentionally give aid to hostilities are subject to the same charge. source
Russia might not meet the bar for “open hostility”, I’m not sure how that is defined. This layman sure as hell thinks Trump and the January 6 mob fall into the definition of ‘levying war’ though. And interestingly a conviction of treason also forfeits your right to hold public office, even if your punishment is prison instead of death
Removed by mod
Removed, advocating violence. Lemmy.world can’t afford to get on a list. :)
A billionaire might have done something illegal and possibly treasonous?
I wonder if anyone will follow through on this.
Never fucking happen
I’m sure Trump will follow through with a pardon as he hands the US to Russia
So combined with his interjection into politics, wouldn’t this be two serious crimes he’s committed?
Yeah, but he has a lot of money so it is fine.
Everything is fine.
what does the word crime even mean anymore
It’s when poor people do something the wealthy don’t like.
Someone remind me what happened involving Musk almost exactly two years ago… I’m pretty sure something relevant happened on October 28, 2022… I remember a little bird chirping in my ear…
And, I even wonder if anyone would be surprised by this news.
Wouldn’t this be a violation of the Logan Act?
Apparently, in the 21st century, you can violate the Logan Act as much as you like.
When you run starlink they let you do it. You can do anything.
Implications for the ongoing election as well as the war in Ukraine. Starlink comms likely provide important intelligence that Putin could use.
lol sure okay next you be telling me water usually seeks it lowest point and makes most things it touches wet 🤡
Republicans get a boner.
He is a national security threat. We need to burn this sham of a system down. Kinda see where the GOP is coming from now…i mean fuck fascism but also…WTF
He IS one with the GOP.