Lawmakers have requested that the Department of Justice investigate New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration after his office attempted to organize a meeting with an Iranian official.
“We write with concern about the recent actions of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Administration,” the letter, led by Rep. Addison McDowell (R-SC) and sent to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, read. “Last week, media outlets began to report Commissioner Ana María Archila, the head of the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, had scheduled a July 7 meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani.”
Because of the timing of the proposed meeting, as negotiations with Iran are ongoing, lawmakers expressed a concern over potential “national security risks.”
“The Logan Act prohibits any unauthorized American citizen from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States,” the letter adds. “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.”
Because of the lawmakers’ support for President Trump’s efforts in the Middle East, they “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.”
The other lawmakers who signed on to the letter are Reps. Clay Fuller (R-GA), Earl Carter (R-GA), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Randy Fine (R-FL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Richard McCormick (R-GA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Max Miller (R-OH).
