The White House is as corrupt as ever. And the evidence is staggering.
Now a Biden official’s foreign ties are exposed in shocking exposé.
Following an internal assessment, a senior Pentagon official who was recently outed as an accused member of an Iranian government-run influence operation, will preserve her top secret security credentials, the Washington Free Beacon has learnt.
Semafor identified Ariane Tabatabai, a senior official in the Defense Department’s special operations office, last month as a member of the Iran Experts Initiative, an Iranian government propaganda network run by Tehran’s foreign ministry and tasked with advancing the Islamic Republic’s interests among Washington policymakers.
Republican lawmakers expressed worry over Tabatabai’s suspected involvement in the organization and urged that her security clearance be revoked pending an investigation into her possible ties to the Iranian government, which helped arrange the Hamas terror group’s most recent attack on Israel.
According to the Pentagon, Tabatabai has been cleared to preserve her top secret clearance following an internal examination.
“We have confirmed that Ms. Tabatabai’s employment and clearance processes were carried out in accordance with all appropriate laws and policies,” Rheanne E. Wirkkala, an assistant secretary of defense, wrote in an Oct. 13 letter to Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), according to a copy obtained by the Free Beacon.
The Pentagon did not reveal how the inquiry of Tabatabai was conducted, nor did it present evidence to demonstrate why the senior official is still qualified for a security clearance.
“The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has enrolled all Defense Department service members, civilians, and contractors with a security clearance in its continuous vetting program, which is a process that involves regularly reviewing a cleared individual’s background to ensure they continue to meet security clearance requirements and may continue to hold positions of trust,” the letter states.
Ernst, one of several Republican members demanding answers regarding Tabatabai’s suspected role in the Iran-based operation, believes the Pentagon is assisting Tehran’s hardline regime in obtaining “access to highly sensitive information.”
“The Biden administration is compromised, but they continue to shamelessly defend allowing an Iranian spy to infiltrate and work at the Pentagon, likely allowing the regime access to highly sensitive information,” Ernst said in a statement to the Free Beacon.
“By continuing to brush this offense under the rug instead of taking this national security threat seriously by suspending Tabatabai’s security clearance, the Biden administration doubles down on its appeasement strategy that has already emboldened Iran and its terrorist proxies.”
Tabatabai apparently spoke directly with senior Iranian officials as part of her role in the Iran Experts Initiative, even requesting them to allow her to take trips to major policy conferences.
According to the emails produced by Semafor, Tabatabai “checked in with Iran’s Foreign Ministry on at least two occasions before attending policy events.”
Ernst’s office also identified more than 80 instances in which Tabatabai referred to conversations she had with high Iranian officials, including former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and others connected to the country’s intelligence agencies.
Tabatabai formerly worked at the State Department alongside suspended Iran ambassador Robert Malley, where she also possessed a security clearance.
Malley is still on leave as the FBI investigates his suspected mishandling of secret information, a circumstance that Republicans believe is related to his possible relationship with members of the Iranian influence operation.
The Pentagon defended Tabatabai’s hire in comments to the Free Beacon following the Semafor report that revealed her participation in the Iranian group.
“Dr. Tabatabai was thoroughly and properly vetted as a condition of her employment with the Department of Defense,” a spokesman said at the time. “We are honored to have her serve.”
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