# Illegal for legislators to purposely tank economy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-for-legislators-to-purposely-tank-economy/639698>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 2, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-for-legislators-to-purposely-tank-economy/639698 "2012-11-02T19:16:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-for-legislators-to-purposely-tank-economy/639698/21 "2012-11-05T16:38:16Z")

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I can’t see any way this could reasonably be considered illegal. Nasty, petty, short-sighted and stupid, sure, but barring actual treason legislators could block or propose anything they like within the rules and procedures of Congress.

You’d probably have a better argument against someone like Darrell Issa revealing classified data on CSPAN, and even that has gotten no traction at all.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-for-legislators-to-purposely-tank-economy/639698/22 "2012-11-06T18:16:52Z")

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Can’t even remotely be 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.

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-for-legislators-to-purposely-tank-economy/639698/23 "2012-11-06T19:14:08Z")

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> [@Fiveyearlurker](#):
>
> I agree about the political gain as this is done all the time, but what if it is for political gain, yet knowingly and intentionally bad for the US?

Even if it were illegal, surely you can see where the ’ knowingly and intentionally’ would be difficult to prove, right?

Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.

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