Not a lawyer (although a few people in my personal life have suggested I should have been one), just a reasonable person, so I don’t qualify for the participation you suggest.

I have to think that a federal prosecution team has some reason for wanting to demonstrate mens rea, at the very least to make the case stronger. But I don’t personally see any rationale for it being required to prove guilt, and I think that my reasoning for mens rea not being required is sound. I am more than happy to have anyone with an actual legal background point out any errors I make.