Earlier this month, House Democrats sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, urging sanctions relief for Iran. Among other things, they criticized "the designation of Iran's Central Bank under terror authorities," arguing that "the efficacy of sanctions is questionable." An organization long described as a front group for the Iran regime sponsored the letter and has embedded staffers with many of the letter's supporters in Congress, including Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
“Is Iran’s regime quietly infiltrating Congress?” M. Hanif Jazayeri, news editor at Free Iran,
asked on Twitter. He pointed out that many of these congresswomen hired
current or former staffers with the National Iranian-American Council
(NIAC), an organization with many links to Iran's regime and which Iran
state-media has described as "Iran's lobby" in the U.S.
Jazayeri
added that NIAC "has a mole in Congress. [Samira Damavandi] is now a
permanent Legislative Assistant in the Office of [Barbara Lee]. That
could potentially give her (& the regime) access to US citizens'
data."
Today's letter by @Ilhan, @RepBarbaraLee & @RepRaulGrijalva was probably drafted by Iran's mullahs.
They're objecting to "the designation of Iran's Central Bank under terror authorities".
PS: @NIACouncil helped draft the text
PPS: Iran's ppl support sanctions on their oppressors"
They're objecting to "the designation of Iran's Central Bank under terror authorities".
PS: @NIACouncil helped draft the text
PPS: Iran's ppl support sanctions on their oppressors"
Did some digging over the letter's authors. Found out @NIACouncil (Iran rgm's lobby in the US) has a mole in Congress. @samira_says is now a permanent Legislative Assistant in the Office of @RepBarbaraLee. That could potentially give her (& the regime) access to US citizens' data
"It turns out the
Senior Legislative Assistant to [Ilhan Omar] is [none] other than
[Mahyar Sorour] who in July was a candidate for NIAC Action's leadership
board," Jazayeri added. He then alleged that NIAC "is an arm of Iran's
Intelligence Ministry." This connection makes sense, given Ilhan Omar's many anti-Israel statements and Iran's condemnations of Israel.
"It turns out
[Rashida Tlaib] has a staffer from [NIAC] (the Iranian regime's de facto
lobby/embassy in the US), [Ethan Azad] handles a 'broad legislative
portfolio, helping Rep. Tlaib’s office on foreign affairs … and
government oversight,'" he added. "Is Congress safe from Iran's
meddling?"
It turns out @RepRashida has a staffer from @NIACouncil (the Iranian regime's de facto lobby/embassy in the US).@ethanazad handles a "broad legislative portfolio, helping Rep. Tlaib’s office on foreign affairs … and government oversight"
Is Congress safe from Iran's meddling?
Is Congress safe from Iran's meddling?
Jazayeri also
pointed to Yasmine Taeb, whom he described as "an agent of NIAC,"
working for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). "Does the DNC know
she gets her talking points from Iran's mullahs?" He also noted that
NIAC got Taeb a congressional staffer position with Rep. Karen Bass
(D-Calif.) and later "campaigned for her to join the DNC board." For her
part, Taeb "got DNC to adopt a resolution calling for end to sanctions
on the regime."
Just found out Democratic National Committee member @YasmineTaeb is an agent of @NIACouncil (Iranian regime's US lobby). Does the @DNC know she gets her talking points from Iran's mullahs?
PS: I spotted NIAC's @jabdi @SinaToossi & @codepink's @medeabenjamin on her campaign trail
PS: I spotted NIAC's @jabdi @SinaToossi & @codepink's @medeabenjamin on her campaign trail
Here's an example of @NIACouncil (Iran's US lobby) influencing @DNC policies:
1) NIAC got @YasmineTaeb a Congressional staffer position w/ @RepKarenBass
2) It campaigned for her to join the DNC board
3) She got DNC to adopt a resolution calling for end to sanctions on the regime
1) NIAC got @YasmineTaeb a Congressional staffer position w/ @RepKarenBass
2) It campaigned for her to join the DNC board
3) She got DNC to adopt a resolution calling for end to sanctions on the regime
This is
how Congress often works. When a representative agrees with an advocacy
group, he or she often hires staffers from that group. There is nothing
inherently nefarious about this, although it does reveal where the
representative stands on specific issues. Yet NIAC does have disturbing
ties to Iran.
NIAC claims to
be an organization dedicated to Persian heritage in America, and indeed
Iran/Persia has a noble history and many Iranian-Americans have
contributed a great deal to the U.S. Iranian-Americans can be proud of
their heritage without advocating for a regime that oppresses its own
people. However, the organization supports many policies that are
friendly to the mullahs.
When
Iranian-American journalist Hassan Daioleslam asserted that NIAC was
lobbying on behalf of the mullahs, NIAC's president sued him for
defamation. The lawsuit unearthed many documents showing a correspondence between NIAC and Mohammad Javad Zarif, then Iran's permanent representative to the U.N.
Even
if NIAC is not a front for the mullahs, the group has long supported
the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal in the name of promoting peace with the
mullahs, and it has long opposed sanctions on the Iranian regime. Its
infiltration of congressional offices is troubling regardless of the
truth of Daioleslam's allegations.
