Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on Thursday confronted one of President Biden’s nominees for a top Defense Department job over another administration official who was implicated this week in an Iranian influence operation over the United States government.
The exchange occurred during the Senate confirmation hearing for State Department Counsel Derek Chollet as the Defense Department’s new undersecretary for policy, when Ernst demanded answers about how Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, the Department’s senior policy advisor of Defense who previously worked at the State Department, was able to obtain and maintain a security clearance considering his alleged participation in the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), an Iranian government operation to improve the country’s image abroad, according to a Semafor report.
“I didn’t think the Biden administration’s appeasement of Iran could get any worse. Today, I confronted them about allowing an Iranian spy to infiltrate and work in the Pentagon. THEY DEFENDED him. Unbelievable!” Ernst wrote on
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According to a Tuesday report by Semafor, a digital news website, Tabatabai was one of the “influential foreign academics” with whom the program sought to establish ties in its quest to “reinforce” Iran’s “image and positions on issues.” of global security, particularly its nuclear policy. program.”
The report said a trove of Iranian government correspondence obtained by the outlet showed that Tabatabai “communicated” with the Iranian Foreign Ministry on at least two occasions before attending security policy events, and even shared plans with them. for her to testify about the Iranian matter. nuclear deal before Congress.
“Do you think it is prudent to have an individual with a history of conferences with Iranian officials in a highly sensitive role related to counterterrorism and special operations?” Ernst asked Chollet, noting that Tabatabai was hired and received security clearance from him at the State Department during his tenure as adviser.
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“I don’t know anything about this particular case. I only know what I’ve read in the press. All I can say is, given my experience in the Department of Defense, as well as the State Department and the Security Council, anyone to serve in a national security position has to go through a rigorous background check. But other than that, I don’t know anything about this episode,” Chollet responded.
However, Ernst continued to press him, asking if he thought it “would be wise to suspend his clearance” in light of the allegations. But Chollet continued to deny having any knowledge of the situation involving Tabatabai.
When asked what he would do to prevent officials from continuing to interact with foreign governments as Tabatabai allegedly did, Chollet said he would “hope that type of behavior would stop if it were ever discovered.”
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When reached for comment, a Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “Dr. Tabatabai was thoroughly and appropriately vetted as a condition of her employment at the Department of Defense. We are honored to have her service.” The spokesperson did not address the allegations against Tabatabai.
Semafor reported Thursday that the Pentagon had opened an investigation into Tabatabai, citing his boss, Undersecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Chris Maier, telling Congress that the department was “actively investigating whether all laws and policies were properly followed in “Give my chief of staff top secret special compartmentalized information.”
