AP FACT CHECK: Collusion not a crime? Not exactly the point.

[Snellius]

Source: AP

Giuliani is right that the term “collusion” isn’t a precise one when it comes to U.S. law. But that doesn’t change the potential legal fallout stemming from the Russia investigation, which could touch on laws against computer hacking, election fraud and conspiracy against the United States.
...
If Trump or his aides knew in advance that Russia had the trove of stolen emails and did nothing to alert federal authorities, they could be accused of covering up the crime of stolen emails or working as foreign agents. Although it’s rare for the Justice Department to charge people for not reporting illegal behavior, it’s also not often that a special counsel team, with a wide-ranging mandate to find wrongdoing, is on the case.

As well, a conspiracy to defraud the United States can be used to refer to any two people using “deceit, craft, or trickery” to interfere with governmental functions, such as an election.

In other words, “collusion” might be shorthand. But if it relates to Russia and U.S. elections, it can still be very much against the law.

https://apnews.com/3eb241f5117646b883d7ee6d68b3e193/AP-FACT-CHECK:-Collusion-not-a-crime?-Not-exactly-the-point.

[lagomorph777]

1. Absence of the WORD in the law doesn't mean the FACTS don't matter.

Saying "No collusion" a million times has solidly cemented in the public mind the fact that the type of collusion being discussed, would be criminal. Now they face an impossible task to admit collusion, while changing the narrative from "collusion would have been a crime, but we didn't do it" to "we did it but it's not a crime." Good luck with that.

[SunSeeker]

2. K & R

[Nitram]

3. They know they've committed serious crimes. The collusion bit is a smoke screen and a very stupid

one at that. Trump has spent so much time loudly and angrily denying collusion that it is most certainly a crime in the minds of the public by now.

[dalton99a]

4. Kick