In light of the latest report that Justice Department officials opposed the $400 million payment to Iran, the Rubio campaign released the following statement:
“Patrick Murphy was quick to tout his support of President Obama’s disastrous Iran deal in the past, but he has nothing to say about the disturbing news this week. Now that Americans have learned the Administration sent a plane carrying $400 million to Iran, Patrick Murphy owes Floridians an explanation. Does Patrick Murphy continue to stand by this bad deal built on a foundation of ransom payments?” – Michael Ahrens, Rubio spokesman
Justice Department Officials Objected to the Obama Administration’s $400M Payment to Iran:
The Wall Street Journal: “Justice Department Officials Raised Objections on U.S. Cash Payment to Iran.” “Senior Justice Department officials objected to sending a plane loaded with cash to Tehran at the same time that Iran released four imprisoned Americans, but their objections were overruled by the State Department, according to people familiar with the discussions. After announcing the release of the Americans in January, President Barack Obama also said the U.S. would pay $1.7 billion to Iran to settle a failed arms deal dating back to 1979. What wasn’t disclosed then was that the first payment would be $400 million in cash, flown in at the same time, as The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.” (The Wall Street Journal, 8/3/16)
“The U.S. has a longstanding policy of not paying ransom to hostage-takers.” “But their concerns show that even within the Obama administration there were worries that the pallets of cash could send the wrong signal to Iran—and potentially to others—about U.S. policy when it came to hostages. The U.S. has a longstanding policy of not paying ransom to hostage-takers. The issue has long been a difficult one for the Justice Department and the FBI, which was criticized last year for providing intelligence assistance to a U.S. family as it tried to buy the freedom of an American aid worker in Pakistan.” (The Wall Street Journal, 8/3/16)
The settlement “coincided with the formal implementation that same weekend of the landmark nuclear agreement.” The money represented the first installment of a $1.7 billion settlement the Obama administration reached with Iran to resolve a decades-old dispute over a failed arms deal signed just before the 1979 fall of Iran’s last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The settlement, which resolved claims before an international tribunal in The Hague, also coincided with the formal implementation that same weekend of the landmark nuclear agreement reached between Tehran, the U.S. and other global powers the summer before. (The Wall Street Journal, 8/2/16)
Murphy Touts His Support The Iran Nuclear Deal:
In August 2015, Murphy announced his support for the nuclear deal with Iran. “Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, a 2016 Senate candidate who said Friday he was ‘skeptical’ of President Barack Obama‘s nuclear deal with Iran, announced today that he supports the agreement. ‘This has been the toughest decision of my time in Congress,’ Murphy said in a statement released this afternoon. ‘The deal on my desk is flawed, but after searching my own soul and conscience, I have decided I will support this agreement as the best available option to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,’ Murphy said.” (The Palm Beach Post, 8/31/15)
Murphy touted that he “stood with the president” by supporting the Iran deal. “Hoping to revive their party into an effective force in county politics, Hillsborough County Democrats held what leaders called a record-breaking fundraiser Saturday night with a local favorite as speaker, U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Patrick Murphy. A liberal firebrand known for inflammatory rhetoric, Grayson sharply criticizes Murphy on the stump while the more conservative Murphy uses a softer tone. [Murphy] began his speech at the party’s Kennedy-King fundraising dinner noting that he ‘stood with the president’ by supporting the proposed nuclear arms limiting agreement with Iran. In the speech and an interview, Murphy sought to emphasize his commitment to Democratic values, suggesting he’s just as true a Democrat as Grayson.” (Tampa Bay Times, 9/12/15)
In September 2015, Murphy voted to approve the Iran nuclear deal. “Passage of the bill that would express Congress’ approval of the Iran nuclear agreement signed on July 14, 2015 between United States, Iran and five other nations.” (H R 3461, Roll Call Vote #493: Failed 162-269, R 0-244, D 162-25, 9/11/15, Murphy Voted Yea; CQ Summary, Accessed 6/26/16)
- H.R. 3461 granted Congressional approval of the deal struck by President Obama regarding Iran’s nuclear program. “The House on Friday rejected a resolution to approve the Iran nuclear deal, with the vote underscoring how controversial the accord has been with President Obama’s own party. While most Democrats voted to approve the nuclear bargain, 25 voted against it, creating a wedge that Republicans hope to use to their advantage in the 2016 elections.” (Christina Marcos, “House Rejects Obama’s Iran Deal,” The Hill’s Floor Action, 9/11/15)
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