{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-reiterates-the-demand-for-answers-regarding-harris-national-security-advisors-communications-with-iranian-influence-operation", "Cotton Reiterates the Demand for Answers Regarding Harris\u2019 National Security Advisor\u2019s Communications with Iranian Influence Operation", "2024-08-15", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 15, 2024\n\nCotton Reiterates the Demand for Answers Regarding Harris\u2019 National Security Advisor\u2019s Communications with Iranian Influence Operation\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a second letter to Vice President Kamala Harris to express his concern about her National Security Advisor, Philip Gordon, and his connections to senior Department of Defense official Ariane Tabatabai. Ms. Tabatabai was reportedly involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Iran\u2019s influence in the United States.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote:\n\n\u201cIn social media posts since my last letter, Mr. Gordon continues to demonstrate a pattern of anti-Israel bias, which furthers Iranian interests. If he\u2019s willing to ridicule Israel so unfairly in public, I can only imagine what he is telling you in private. I understand that it may be difficult to discern Iranian agents from the left-wing ideologies on your staff. But you have the responsibility to make these difficult distinctions and appropriately vet the people you elevate to positions of distinction and trust.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nAugust 15, 2024\n\nVice President Kamala D. Harris\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20500\n\nDear Vice President Harris,\n\nOn July 31, I sent you a letter regarding your National Security Advisor Philip Gordon\u2019s connections to alleged Iranian spy, Ariane Tabatabai. Yet, you failed to respond by my deadline or to appropriately address this threat to national security emanating from your staff.\n\nThe presence of such an obvious security risk in your inner circle should have elicited your utmost attention. It raises the question of whether you\u2019ve been aware of Mr. Gordon\u2019s possible links to the Iranian regime and simply find your policies aligned enough with Tehran\u2019s interests that ties to that regime don\u2019t concern you.\n\nIn social media posts since our last letter, Mr. Gordon continues to demonstrate a pattern of anti- Israel bias, which furthers Iranian interests. If he\u2019s willing to ridicule Israel so unfairly in public, we can only imagine what he is telling you in private.\n\nI understand that it may be difficult to discern Iranian agents from the left-wing ideologues on your staff. But you have the responsibility to make these difficult distinctions and appropriately vet the people you elevate to positions of distinction and trust.\n\nI expect you to immediately investigate Mr. Gordon\u2019s ties to the Iranian regime and provide responses to my initial July 31 letter.\n\nThank you for your belated attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\nTom Cotton\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-reiterates-the-demand-for-answers-regarding-harris-national-security-advisors-communications-with-iranian-influence-operation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4849600847810507, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}