Op-ed: "If that’s not treason, it should be”

During the Cold War, a term coined by George Orwell referring to the predicted nuclear stalemate between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, treason was synonymous with the spying activities of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Although a formal declaration of war did not materialize, there was clearly open hostility between the two superpowers.

Electoral College’s Success Depends on the States’ Integrity

One of the Framers of the Constitution believed creating an Electoral College was an excellent safeguard to protect the Presidential elections from foreign power influence. He was concerned that “deadly adversaries” would gain an improper foothold on the presidency.

Alexander Hamilton thought keeping the states detached and independent would minimize potential skirmishes. In the Federalist Papers No. 68 he said:

“And as the electors, chosen in each State, are to assemble and vote in the State in which they are chosen, this detached and divided situation will expose them much less to heats and ferments, which might be communicated from them to the people, than if they were all to be convened at one time, in one place.”

Hamilton didn’t realize that the success of the Electoral College depended on the integrity of the states.

States Bartering Lucrative Deals

For more than five years, the U.S. China-Governors Collaboration Summit has convened annually to discuss economic development opportunities and create and strengthen mutually beneficial relations. Through these meetings, states bartered lucrative “deals” putting America’s safety at risk.

The collaboration between governors dates back to at least the early 1900s when the National Governors Association began. Later came the Council of State Governments and many others. These groups commonly discuss how to attract Chinese investment.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned state governors that their friendships with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were affecting the security of America. In a speech at a National Governors Association meeting in February, Pompeo said:

“It’s happening in your states with consequences for our foreign policy, for the citizens that reside in your states, and indeed, for each of you.”

China’s friendships influence U.S. political circles. Take, for example, Rep. Eric Stalwell (D-Calif.), the married father of two who made friends with suspected Chinese operative Christine Fang. Ms. Fang, who was found to be tied to China’s political intelligence, developed extensive ties with several local and national politicians.

State governments’ friendships with the CCP distort their view of election integrity and play into China’s goal to control the United States.

Consider the four battleground states accused of election fraud.

Deep Ties

• Georgia has faired well in its trade partnership with China. In 2017, Georgia’s exports to China totaled $2.83 billion and imports from China reached $22.22 billion. Nearly 50 Chinese businesses have more than 100 facilities operating in the state. Georgia has four sister city agreements with China: Brunswick - Ganzhou, Hinesville - Yichun, Savannah -Jiujiang and Tifton - Linyi. Sandy Springs has a friendship-city relationship with Taicang.

• Pennsylvania has a strong trade relationship with China. Despite a setback in 2014, Pennsylvania experienced a 159 percent growth in exports to China between 2005 and 2014. China imports made up 21.8 percent of total imports making China the top import partner in 2014. Pennsylvania’s two largest cities – Philadelphia and Pittsburgh – have sister city relationships with Chinese cities Tianjin and Wuhan respectively. Notably, Tianjin is home of the Tianjin First Center where more than 6,000 organ transplants are performed per year. Reportedly, the supply of organs primarily comes from the persecuted spiritual group Falun Gong. Wuhan is the city where COVID-19 (or CCP virus) originated.

• Michigan was one of the first states to begin a formal relationship with China. For more than 30 years, China’s Southwest Sichuan province has enjoyed a sister state relationship with Michigan. Michigan’s city of Detroit has sister city ties with Chongqing city in Sichuan. China is one of the top export markets for Michigan.
• China is a top export market for Wisconsin. In 2014, Wisconsin exports to China totaled $1.6 billion. China’s Heilongjiang province has had a sister state relationship with Wisconsin since 1982.

The point is states have a vested interest in removing President Trump from office; Trump’s trade wars embittered China’s relations with the U.S. and threatened the states’ lucrative relationships; if Trump remains in office he vowed to continue imposing tariffs on China; states have to commit election fraud to oust Trump from office; the people overwhelmingly voted for Trump and the Electoral College shouldn’t ignore that.

For Democrats and China, Biden is the president of choice and the overwhelming evidence of election fraud puts the enablers on the path to treason charges.

Election Fraud or Treason

During the Cold War, a term coined by George Orwell referring to the predicted nuclear stalemate between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, treason was synonymous with the spying activities of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Although a formal declaration of war did not materialize, there was clearly open hostility between the two superpowers.

In the Constitution, Article III, Section 3, sets forth the legal definition of treason:

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”

In a 2019 article for the Seattle Times  a syndicated columnist, Cass R. Sunstein, criticized President Trump for using the word “treason” to describe statements made by California Democrat Adam Schiff.  Sunstein said, “political acts of the most unsavory or despicable sort — lying, leaking, spying — cannot by themselves be counted as ‘levying war.’ He continued that the word “enemies” is “a term that is limited to ‘the subjects of a foreign power in a state of open hostility with us.’ Open hostility refers to declared or open war.”

As to the phrase “Aid and Comfort,” Sunstein described them as “words of limitation,” that more likely referred to communicating intelligence or selling munitions to an enemy. Despite his misgivings, Sunstein thought transferring goods to an enemy could be treason, “even if those goods are not munitions.”

The contested presidential election is rife with proof of fraud conducted by government officials of various states, which have friendly trade ties with China, a country that is openly hostile toward the U.S. While the rampant lying and cheating do not constitute treason, the resulting aid and comfort it provides to China in its quest to control the U.S. puts them in the ballpark. In addition, the Dominion vote-counting software, used by several states, was connected to the Internet making it accessible to foreign governments, like China, an enemy to the United States.

If that’s not treason, it should be.