U.S. Representatives Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) have penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether the International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels-based non-governmental organization, is unlawfully representing the government of Iran. The letter was made public on Banks' Congressional site.
In their communication to Garland, the Representatives expressed concern that ICG may be violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This comes in light of recent revelations about its undisclosed relationship with the Iranian government. FARA mandates that individuals who act as representatives of foreign entities within the United States must disclose their roles and activities to the DOJ. The primary objective of FARA is to enhance transparency.
The lawmakers' letter stated, "While the Crisis Group ostensibly conducts research on conflict resolution, recent reporting has revealed that the group has a disturbing and longstanding official relationship with the government of Iran." They reference an article from Semafor which disclosed that ICG had entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran's Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) in 2016, an entity known for promoting Holocaust denial. This MOU was not publicly disclosed. Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif admitted in 2021 to orchestrating ICG's support for an Iranian nuclear proposal in 2014. The ICG employs members of the "Iran Experts Initiative," including Ali Vaez, who pledged loyalty to Zarif in 2014 and continues to direct ICG's Iran Project.
According to Banks, Stefanik and Waltz, these activities potentially violate FARA and necessitate an investigation by Garland and the DOJ. Their letter asserted, "There is a clear pattern of behavior indicating that the Crisis Group is in fact not an independent organization, but a chief mouthpiece of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States."
In a press release from Stefanik's office, Banks stated, "Joe Biden’s disgraced former Iran envoy ran a foreign think tank that had entered into an undisclosed formal agreement with an Iranian government organization which denies the Holocaust. Members of this same foreign think tank were pledging allegiance to Iran while advising Democratic administrations on Iran policy. It’s unbelievable. The Justice Department must hold the International Crisis Group accountable for failing to register as a foreign agent, and Congress should continue to investigate Iran’s infiltration of the Biden administration and its malign influence on White House policy."
Banks' Congressional biography reveals that he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 to represent Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District. He currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the newly formed House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.
