In an excellent piece for National Review, Andrew McCarthy makes a compelling case that President Obama’s payment of $400 million to Iran was not just wrong, it was ILLEGAL.
In fact, a violation of the the statute in question is a felony punishable by up to 20 years impirsonment, according to McCarthy.
And we do impeach presidents for breaking the law, right?
Obama has claimed that his secret transfer of money in foriegn-denominated bills — gosh, this sounds like something out of the Sopranos, doesn’t it? — was done because the United States lacks “a banking relationship” with Iran.
Well, that’s saying I lack a checking account with Citibank. I do, but that’s because I don’t bank there.
The reason we have no banking relationship with Iran is not because we can’t find tellers fluent in Farsi, it’s because the very sancitons Obama promised to uphold in selling his Iran deal prohibit us from engaging in transactions with Iran.
From the article:
Treasury’s guidance cites to what’s known as the ITSR (Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations), the part of the Code of Federal Regulations that implements anti-terrorism sanctions initiated by President Clinton under federal law. The specific provision cited is Section 560.204, which states: The exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran is prohibited. The regulation goes on to stress that this prohibition may not be circumvented by exporting things of value “to a person in a third country” when one has “knowledge or reason to know that” such things are “intended specifically for supply, transshipment, or reexportation, directly or indirectly, to Iran or the Government of Iran.”
Nor is laundering the money though other countries by using their currency okay.
Section 560.203 states: Evasions; attempts; causing violations; conspiracies: . . . Any transaction . . . that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this part is prohibited. . . . Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this part is prohibited.
Follow the money, see? Follow the money.
So, I guess Republicans could try impeaching the president. But that would be politically motivated. Right?
Anyway, Obama is gone soon, and the Republican long ago showed that they are not going to do anything serious to hold him accountable for his various actions skirting the law. At least the courts have had more backbone, stopping some of his illegal executive orders. But soon, Hillary may change all that forever.
30 thoughts on “Is the Iran Ransom Payment an Impeachable Offense?”
Worse than Hillary’s emails. The crime is much more serious, and though we have great evidence, we also have a confession wrapped in a denial of wrongdoing. Any federal prosecutor could put anyone else behind bars without issue. But of course The Lightworker cannot, by definition, do anything wrong. And it’s only illegal if it’s breaking a law that he cares to enforce. So done with this cretin.
Another lawless act by Obama.
Congress? Zzzzzzz, snore.
5 months to go.
Out of office 20 JAN 2017.
CiscoKid….Yes, out of office but not out of DC. I think he will hang around and be very active.
Rumors of Mooch running for Senate, and Obama staying in DC, a toxic mix.
Like herpes, we’ll never be rid of the Obamas.
There won’t be any impeachment, nor will any opponent of MrObama make noise about this transfer of money to Iran.
As for the money transferred: where did they get bills of foreign countries in such a big quantity?
Someone(s) had to have federal cash, credit, or something to amass such a large amount of paper from someone(s) who could provide it.
Someone(s) had to assemble the various piles of paper, count the paper correctly, put it on pallets and then transfer the package to an airplane ( of what company – ours?)
It wouldn’t be hard to believe that hundreds of people were involved in the gathering and shipping of this ransom payment to Iran.
It’s also hard to believe that in 2016 a transfer of assets couldn’t be done by any international bank – a transfer to a Swiss bank that would allow Iran to claim it isn’t something unusual in banking circles.
IMO, this transfer of untraceable, illegally accessed money to someone in Iran was meant to be a personal payment to some one for some reason and it wasn’t to assure the release of four American hostages.
Is it too hard to imagine that a kick-back was brokered for a POTUS who is about to leave office? That this kick-back will be funneled to someone in the same manner it was received – in cash?
Not in my suspicious mind, it isn’t.
Agree completely. This was (is) self-serving, Chicago-style political racketeering in full view, and Obama and his administration is right smack-dab in the middle of it. It’s RICO-level planning, coordination, skulduggery at the highest level. Meanwhile,the corporate press and the spineless, useless, corrupt McConnell and Ryan Congress sleeps through the entire affair. The question: qui bono? Who benefits?
You ask – here it is:
http://www.barackobamafoundation.org/
A fund-raising organization similar to the Clinton’s.
There it is. Another post-Presidency money laundering operation. It’ll be interesting to see who “invests” in or donates to the Obama Foundation. Will Barry and the Mooch get $500,000 per speech to “promote” the Foundation? Will weapons and uranium be smuggled, er, made available to our worst enemies via the Obama Foundation? Barry and his fellow conspirators will try to hide that information, but it will come out eventually. Assange has his work cut out for him on this one.
srdem65,
You sat the precise questions that a true news reporter should be asking.
But seeing how the American media has devolved into a propaganda corps that would make Heer Gobbels envious, I don’t expect those questions to be asked.
…you ask…
Unfortunately the media is so consumed with the Trump bashing, this blatant, flagrant criminal act of our lawless Dictator is being ignored. What did he say at the Presser? “This is old news!”
Ironically, the ransom demand for James Foley, the American journalist who was beheaded by ISIS, was $100M – the exact amount that was paid for each of the 4 hostages released in Jan.
When Mrs. Foley stated that the family would attempt to raise the money, Team Obama told the parents they would be prosecuted! Obama’s hypocrisy is unconscionable. Lock him up!
Apropos impeachable offense, Iran executed a nuclear scientist ( “spy” ) who was discussed in the e-mails leaked from Hillarys server. But the MSM is, as Girly writes, consumed with Trump bashing.
Some posters here are also consumed with Trump bashing.
All the more reason to elect Trump: he’ll put Chris Christie in as AG, and by the time Christie’s through with them, both Obamao AND Hildebeast will be spending the rest of their natural lives in Supermax.
IMO, Congress was aware of this. Perhaps not the whole body, but a sufficient amount of Republicans and Democrats. They should all be impeached (Obama) and thrown out of office.
But yeah that is kind of like the Obama DOJ, telling the Obama FBI, to investigate the Obama the 3rd, Hillary Clinton.
But more egregious. Of course, he should be impeached. Long ago.
No one out there in media land and hollywood unreality care about this. islam is good, muslims are wonderful, the best religion and people in the world. In fact we should import the entire middle east into the US, maybe then they would all STFU, already. Obama could kill someone on live TV and his cultists would say the victim deserved it.
OT.
Keep an eye on Wisconsin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKCO24Mu1iY
I hate that picture…wish he’d get his *ss off the desk.
Agree Mr Pibb, I have seen many pictures of him in the Oval Office, often with these slighting, insolent manners. He does it on purpose, I believe. To show that he can.
It will interesting to see if Barry tries to abscond the desk in the Oval Office, or any other White House furniture and accessories, as the Clintons did ($190,000 worth of WH furnishings).
He’s doing to the desk what he’s doing to the US Constitution and the American people. And he’s very proud of that. It’s what his father dreamed of doing.
Right, Marcus.
Sure it’s an impeachable offense.
Do you think the spineless Republicans in Congress will do anything about it?
Of course not.
Hey everybody look at the bright side of things. Even though Dictator Imam Obama has destroyed this country, committed a myriad of felonies, made the rule of law a joke, caused the deaths of many Americans as a result of multiple domestic Islamic terrorist attacks, raised racial tensions in the country to a white hot flame, and driven millions of Americans into poverty at least we elected our kinda, sorta first black president! Now that’s an accomplishment all Americans should be proud of.
Also forgot to mention that Dictator Imam Obama and his hulking, greedy, First Entitlement Queen have also, mysteriously, managed to become multi-millionaires on a government salary. Now that is quite an accomplishment considering Bill and Hillary Clinton were “dead broke” when they vacated the White House.
We only impeach white guys.
Did Obama purchase his lifelong stash of Pot with all that cash?
Interesting that the US did not have a banking relationship……..you mean Pay Pal was too busy? Western Union? You go to the part of town that has the DUI Lawyer, Beer, Bail Bonds and Milk signs…..you take the cash and wire it at Western Union…….This proves Obama wasn’t a Community Organizer or he would have known not to send cash…….
You don’t notify the intellefgence, foreign relationship banking committee chairs?
Listen, Barry needed seed money to kick off his Obama Foundation. He was desperate, doncha see? He’s as dead broke as the Clintons were. He’s only got a few months to hit the jackpot, the Big Enchilada. He tried Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and a bunch of others. Nothing. He even tried to get on Shark Tank, but they said no way, dude. You got nothing. No one wants to buy what you’re selling. Now he can get a cut, a reward for all his efforts. (through third and fourth party exchanges. That’s the way you have to do it nowadays. He learned from the Clintons’ sloppy mistakes). Now he gets a cut from the Iranian Ayatollahs–henceforth known as Obama’s bag men– and he’s on his way! He’ll hit the Jackpot. The Big Enchilada. Life is good. No one will find out.
Just a hunch on my part: I think Valerie Jarrett is behind all of this. Maybe a pay-off/favor for her years of service to Obama?
Why is it Obama shows such disrespect for the Resolute Desk? He’s either got his feet propped up on it or sitting his lardass on it.
This surely must be a humor article for The Onion. Do you REALLY believe that Lyin’ Ryan would either file or accept articles of impeachment against the Muslim in Chief? Or that the House would ever record more that 50 votes to send the bill to the Senate? Or that Post Turtle and his band of merry “men” in the Senate would let there be more than 25 vote for removal?
I mean, come on! This is the funniest tall tale I have read this year.
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