The Logan Act is a 215-year-old law imposing fine, imprisonment or both on anyone who
without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States.*
So what exactly did 47 Republicans just do?
They wrote to Iranian leaders advising them that Republicans will undo any nuclear deal [the President] might enter into with Iran. In other words, they are corresponding with Iran to "intentionally influence the measures or conduct of a foreign government" with the United States.
Sounds like a Logan Act violation to me.
What's striking is that now they are brazen enough to do all of their meddling and sabotaging out in the open.
I call it The March Surprise, a successor to the October Surprises of 1968 and 1980.
In the old days of 1968 and 1980, Republicans felt the need to cover their tracks and keep their sabotage secret.
Credible evidence supports communications from the Nixon campaign to the North Vietnamese advising them not to do an October deal because they would get a better deal from the new administration. Lest you think this is wild-eyed left wing conspiracy theorizing, this article is from Politico and is titled Yes, Nixon Scuttled the Vietnam Peace Talks.
Moving 12 years later to 1980, there is substantial evidence that Reagan representatives negotiated a delay in the release of the Iranian hostages, evidence confirmed recently by among others, Bani-Sadr, the Iranian President at the time.
I don't think a "Surprise" requires an imminent election, but if it does, this time the election is taking place in Israel.
*§ 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.
1 Stat. 613, January 30, 1799, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).