U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Wicker, John Curtis, and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Representatives Joe Wilson and Steve Cohen, have sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The lawmakers are urging the administration to defend former U.S. personnel who have been targeted by officials in Georgia amid increasing anti-American rhetoric.
The letter asks Secretary Rubio to obtain assurances from Georgian authorities that former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) and other U.S.-employed personnel will not be subject to attacks or false accusations. Lawmakers also called on the State Department to counter what they describe as dangerous misinformation spread by Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream.
"Georgian authorities, led by Georgian Dream, have repeatedly proclaimed a desire to rebuild the bilateral relationship with the United States, but their continued actions and statements indicate otherwise," wrote the lawmakers. "We urge you to seek assurances from the Georgian government that former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) and other personnel employed by the United States will not be maligned or targeted."
The letter highlights an incident reported on October 1 when Mamuka Mdinaradze, Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, accused the U.S. government of attempting to foment revolution through payments made to FSNs. According to the lawmakers, these payments were actually termination or pension payments required under Georgian law following the end of employment for U.S. personnel. They note that similar comments were echoed by members of Georgian Dream.
"His comments were echoed by Georgian Dream politicians. This mischaracterization is putting FSNs in harm’s way. The statements also serve as an important data point: Georgian Dream has demonstrated no serious intent of seeking to improve bilateral relations with the United States," continued the lawmakers.
The group expressed support for the State Department's recent decision on October 6 to request a meeting with Tamar Taliashvili, Georgia’s Ambassador to the United States, about this issue. They further requested that Georgian Dream formally retract its statements.
"It is important that the Trump Administration addresses this narrative, which poses a danger to U.S. personnel in Georgia and sets a concerning precedent for other foreign governments," stated the lawmakers in their letter.
"The United States government depends upon local staff to perform work at the direction of U.S. departments and agencies," concluded the lawmakers. "If we do not defend personnel from attacks by a foreign government, it will limit our ability to recruit personnel and carry out the policy of the United States around the world. We urge you to denounce these attacks and ensure that the State Department pushes back vigorously against the targeting of personnel working on behalf of the United States wherever it may arise."
