Probe of Mamdani, possible Iran negotiation violation sought

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

Investigating the mayor of New York City and a member of his administration following a meeting with an ambassador from the Islamic Republic of Iran has been requested of the U.S. Department of Justice by a North Carolina congressman and 13 colleagues.

Ana Maria Archila, chosen by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lead the Office of International Affairs for the city, scheduled a meeting Tuesday of last week with Amir Saeid Iravani. U.S. Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., and others penning the letter say that’s a possible violation of foreign government engagement per the Logan Act.

“The Logan Act,” the Thursday letter says, “prohibits any unauthorized American citizen from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States. Mayor Mamdani’s and Commissioner Archila’s actions create a clear conflict of interest with the United States’ strategic military actions in Iran and across the Middle East, warranting further examination by the department.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran, known also as Iran, is “a dangerous regime,” according to archives on the U.S. Department of State website. It says in part, “The Iranian people are largely pro-Western but are brutally subjugated by an anti-Western religious theocracy.”

Mamdani has opposed and condemned the strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel. He created the Office of International Affairs to give the city “a chief liaison to the United Nations and the State Department.”

In part, he said Archila’s job is to ensure “that the world continues to be welcome in the city we all call home.”

The fight with Iran centers on the ability of the Middle East nation, under rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to create an atomic bomb. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other leaders use the “Death to America” slogan as a condemnation of the foreign policy and “arrogance” of the United States.

The letter says in part, “We support President Trump’s effort to shore up American economic and national security interests in the Middle East, and we understand the vulnerable nature of continued peace negotiations. For that reason, we believe that a formal investigation is necessary to determine whether Commissioner Archila, acting on behalf of Mayor Mamdani, engaged in any unlawful activity or communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

McDowell’s signature was followed by Republican Reps. Clay Fuller, Buddy Carter and Dr. Rich McCormick of Georgia; Pat Fallon, Wesley Hunt and Pete Sessions of Texas; Randy Find and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida; Riley Moore of West Virginia; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Pat Harrigan of North Carolina; Claudia Tenney of New York; and Max Miller of Ohio.