On Monday, from his perch on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate former U.S. Sec. of State John Kerry for meeting with Iranian leaders.
Rubio wrote U.S. Attorney General William Barr, urging him to examine if Kerry’s meeting on the Iran nuclear deal violated either the Logan Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Last year, Rubio wrote then U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the matter.
“I write to make you aware of a September 18, 2018 letter I sent to your predecessor regarding potential violations of the Logan Act (18 U.S.C. § 953) and the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq.) by former Secretary of State John F. Kerry. As you know, former Secretary Kerry’s actions since leaving office have come under scrutiny as they related to the Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” Rubio wrote.
“The American people deserve to know that U.S. laws are enforced regardless of any individual’s past position. The Department of Justice should therefore make a determination on whether or not former Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s recent actions related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran potentially violate the Logan Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” Rubio added. “Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”
President Donald Trump ripped Kerry’s relationship with Iran which led to a response from the former secretary of state.
A spokesperson for Kerry said to CNN last week insisted Trump is “simply wrong” on the matter.
“He’s wrong about the facts, wrong about the law and, sadly, he’s been wrong about how to use diplomacy to keep America safe,” the spokesperson said.
Kevin Derby can be reached at Kevin.Derby@floridadaily.com.
