I have an extremely difficult time believing that a past member of the legislative branch of the government is unaware of a law. That's your job. To know the law.
Too many 2000-page bills. Too many "you have to pass it to know what's in it" bills. They can write it, and still not know what it says. But the hammer should fall on them for that, too, because if they had done a decent job writing it, it wouldn't be so hard to know what it says.
Of course the ones who got paid are doing 3 years in jail (and will probably lose all their pensions) whist the hacks got off scott free