Not that I think Feinstein would act in the interest of the United States, but presidents have been known to use non state department people to deliver messages. It has to be done carefully. You could have dinner with a foreign politician and be legal so long as you don’t profess to represent the government. Frankly though, this was a bad idea on her part. There is no way anything she discussed would help the United States. If it was recorded she could be accused of treason.
“presidents have been known to use non state department people to deliver messages. It has to be done carefully”
It appears that neither President Trump nor the State Department wanted Feinstein to do this.
From the article:
“it was not State’s request that she go.”