Thread by @NegarMortazavi

SCOOP: State Department gave $1.5 million of our tax dollars to @Memarsadeghi, who has been smearing pro diplomacy Americans for years, to continue her attacks under @IranDisinfo.

And @SGhasseminejad, who works at @FDD and has been smearing Americans for years, works for her.

Maryam Memarsadeghi has been granted millions in tax dollars from State Department in the past decade to promote civic education and tolerance in Iran. While she has repeatedly smeared journalists, academics, activists, and civil society organizations here in the US for years.

Congressional staff confirmed to me that @StateDept has suspended the funds and is investigating how @IranDisinfo worked outside the scope of the project.

This project was meant to counter Iranian government propaganda, but they used social media to smear anti-war Americans.

The most bizarre attacks from @IranDisinfo were against Iranian journalists working at VOA, RFE/RL, and Radio Farda. These are all media organizations directly funded by US government.

Basically US government funds were used to attack US government organizations.

#McCarthyism

My sources confirm that State Department suspended funding for @IranDisinfo to investigate.

It is very unlikely that funds will go back to the same implementers after their track record has come to light.

Maryam Memarsadeghi’s main organization eciviced.org was awarded the $1.5 million grant from State Department for @IranDisinfo.

Her organization has been funded by American taxpayers for many years, with this mission:

@IranDisinfo The @statedeptspox confirmed that funding for @IranDisinfo is suspended and under review because they went outside the scope of the contract, and it is possible that funds will not go back to this implementer. (Great questions by @APDiploWriter)

@IranDisinfo @statedeptspox @APDiploWriter Watch today's @statedeptspox comments about @IranDisinfo from minute 16:00 here:

c-span.org/video/?461585-…