Rep. Edward Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the State and Justice departments to revive probes into global Iranian trafficking networks that might have been delayed or derailed by the Obama administration, Politico reported.
Royce, in a Tuesday letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, said the Obama administration "appears to have done serious damage to our national security."
Royce cited a Politico report published Monday that says the Obama administration last year released seven Iranians to the terrorist nation, some who were considered a threat to the national security of the United States and, in the process deceived Congress, the American public and its own agencies.
The Obama administration framed the release as a goodwill gesture around the nuclear agreement with Iran.
Royce said he was particularly alarmed about details in the story about how "Justice and State Department officials denied or delayed requests from prosecutors and agents to lure some key Iranian fugitives to friendly countries so that they could be arrested."
"To better understand the impact of the prior administration's interference in law enforcement investigations, and to ascertain whether there was excessive denial or non-processing of extradition requests and lure memos, we respectfully request that your agencies brief the Committee on law enforcement investigations delayed by the previous administration," he wrote.
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