Tucker Carlson Could Be 'Prosecuted' for Putin Interview, Lawyer Warns

Tucker Carlson risks "bogus" prosecution under the Espionage Act for interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin, one legal expert warns.

Carlson, a former Fox News host who remains popular among conservatives, is set to interview Putin, he confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. He said that he is interviewing Russia's leader because most Americans "are not informed" about what is happening there and that it's his "duty to inform people."

But the interview has brought a backlash from critics, who have in the past accused Carlson of promoting Kremlin talking points during the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now," Carlson said in a video posted to X. "They've never heard his voice. That's wrong. Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they're implicated in, and we have a right to tell them about it because we are Americans too."

Carlson is taking a risk by interviewing Putin, lawyer Ian Corzine said in a video posted to X on Wednesday, with his analysis drawing some pushback. He said that while interviewing Putin may be legal, there may be "some big problems ahead" for Carlson, pointing to the "super broad" language of the Espionage Act, which prohibits Americans from spying on behalf of foreign countries.

Corzine warned that the language of the law "could be construed to prohibit any sharing of information with another country with intent to harm the U.S."

Carlson sharing questions with Putin's team before the interview, or Putin's team providing the American with evidence supporting the war with Ukraine, could be covered by the Espionage Act, Corzine said. But he explained why the case for prosecution would still be weak.

"Does Tucker Carlson have an intent to harm the U.S.?" he asked. "This is where the Espionage Act case against Tucker gets weaker, and it gets even more weak when you consider that the U.S. government is duty bound to follow the dictates of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and the U.S. Supreme Court has done everything it can to protect this provision and journalists."

Corzine also said Carlson is ultimately taking a risk that he could be "prosecuted later on in time on bogus charges."

Newsweek reached out via email to the Tucker Carlson Network and Corzine for comment.

Corzine's analysis on X has gone viral, amassing more than 1 million views by Thursday. But critics argue that the interview will be covered by the First Amendment's guaranteed freedom of the press.

"Please watch this video and see for yourself how completely unhinged, authoritarian and repressive American liberals have become," responded journalist Glenn Greenwald. "This is from a lawyer, very seriously discussing whether Tucker Carlson will be prosecuted under the 1917 Espionage Act for interviewing Putin."

Conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong posted: "It's legal for CNN to interview Putin but it's not legal for Tucker Carlson to do it, apparently."

Corzine responded to some of the criticism on X, writing, "It surely is legal, but that doesn't stop the US Department of Justice from bringing lawsuits and having defendants had to spend thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars in their defense."

While it is unclear whether Carlson would face legal action in the U.S., he has faced sanction calls in Europe. Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and current member of the European Parliament, previously told Newsweek that Carlson could be subject to European Union sanctions for the interview.