I sure hope they get Pence before they get Trump.
I’m going to presume they fit “owing allegiance to the United States.” So did they “levy war” against the US, did they adhere to the enemies of of the US, did the give aid and comfort to the enemies of the US.
The legal precedent on this is going to be tricky because it is going to be written about cases that are not remotely analogous to help a foreign government with the fake news ad campaign on Facebook to swing an election. But in weighing whether it’s treason, I’d say that, first, elections ought to be considered the most sacred part of a democracy and an attack on an election should be considered an existential threat to the country on the same or nearly the same level as waging war. Second, giving “aid” is not exactly a high bar.
All that aside, it’s fine to call it treason even if it doesn’t even up legally being the crime of treason. Treason is betraying your country. Helping Russians spread lies to change the outcome of an election sure feels like a betrayal.
