FAS

Conducting Foreign Relations Without Authority (CRS)

02.09.06 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The Logan Act, which became law in 1799, generally prohibits U.S. citizens from engaging in freelance diplomacy with foreign governments.

The Act is the subject of a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

“Although it appears that there has never been a prosecution under the Logan Act, there have been several judicial references to it, indicating that the Act has not been forgotten and that it is at least a potential point of challenge … against anyone who without authority allegedly interferes in the foreign relations of the United States.”

See “Conducting Foreign Relations Without Authority: The Logan Act,” February 1, 2006.