{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-stefanik-demand-answers-regarding-harris-national-security-advisors-communications-with-iranian-influence-operation", "Cotton, Stefanik Demand Answers Regarding Harris\u2019 National Security Advisor\u2019s Communications with Iranian Influence Operation", "2024-07-31", "2024", "2024-07", "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\nJuly 31, 2024\n\nCotton, Stefanik Demand Answers Regarding Harris\u2019 National Security Advisor\u2019s Communications with Iranian Influence Operation\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (New York-21) today sent a 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, the lawmakers wrote:\n\n\u201cBefore joining your office, Mr. Gordon co-authored at least three opinion pieces with Ms. Tabatabai blatantly promoting the Iranian regime\u2019s perspective and interests. In a March 2020 piece, Mr. Gordon and Ms. Tabatabai claimed continued sanctions on Iran would create \u2018catastrophe\u2019 in the Middle East. In another, they wrote sanctions could lead to new Iranian efforts to \u2018lash out with attacks on its neighbors, and on Americans and American interests in the Middle East.\u2019 Each prediction was as wrong, as it was biased in favor of Tehran.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nJuly 31, 2024\n\nVice President Kamala C. Harris\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20500\n\nDear Vice President Harris,\n\nWe write to express concern about your national security advisor Mr. Philip Gordon\u2019s connections to Ms. Ariane Tabatabai, a senior Department of Defense official who was reportedly involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Tehran\u2019s soft power in the United States. During negotiations over the failed Iran nuclear deal, Ms. Tabatabai reportedly was a founding member of the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), a group of policy analysts in America led by senior Iranian Foreign Ministry officials to propagate Iran\u2019s objectives during the nuclear deal negotiations and bolster Tehran\u2019s reputation.\n\nBefore joining your office, Mr. Gordon co-authored at least three opinion pieces with Ms. Tabatabai blatantly promoting the Iranian regime\u2019s perspective and interests. In a March 2020 piece, Mr. Gordon and Ms. Tabatabai claimed continued sanctions on Iran would create \u201ccatastrophe\u201d in the Middle East. In another, they wrote sanctions could lead to new Iranian efforts to \u201clash out with attacks on its neighbors, and on Americans and American interests in the Middle East.\u201d Each prediction was as wrong, as it was biased in favor of Tehran.\n\nMr. Gordon was also closely associated with the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), another Iranian influence organization that allegedly collaborates with Tehran. He spoke at the NIAC\u2019s Leadership Conference in both 2014 and 2016.\n\nThe Biden-Harris Administration is no stranger to Iran accommodators, appeasers, and accomplices. Ms. Tabatabai remains gainfully employed in the Defense Department, helping oversee sensitive special operations. The FBI is investigating your former Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley for passing classified intelligence to Tehran and your Special Envoy Amos Hochstein allegedly passed intelligence about Israeli airstrikes to Hezbollah potentially as recently as this weekend.\n\nWe request you provide answers to the following questions no later than August 9, 2024:\n\nWhen you hired Mr. Gordon, were you aware of his connections with Ariane Tabatabai, the IEI, and the NIAC?\n\nDid Mr. Gordon undergo security screening and receive a security clearance when you hired him? Does he have an active security clearance?\n\nDid you request further investigation into Mr. Gordon when Ms. Tabatabai\u2019s connections to the Iranian Foreign Ministry were revealed in September 2023? Did Mr. Gordon admit and report his ties to this individual?\n\nHave you or Mr. Gordon met with other members of the IEI, including Ali Vaez? Have you met with Ms. Tabatabai personally?\n\nAs the Vice President do you support Ms. Tabatabai\u2019s continued employment at the Department of Defense?\n\nAs the Vice President what specific actions will you take to address the issue of Iranian sympathizers, aside from yourself, within the Administration?\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"]], "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-stefanik-demand-answers-regarding-harris-national-security-advisors-communications-with-iranian-influence-operation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8880579844117165, "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"}