Senior WH Official Received Large Fee From Firm Connected To Iran

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Senior White House adviser David Plouffe received a $100,000 speaking fee from a firm that has done business with Iran, the Washington Post reported Monday. The fee came from a subsidiary of the telecommunications company MTN Group, for two speeches Plouffe gave in Nigeria in December 2010.

From the Post:

Since Plouffe’s speeches, MTN Group has come under intensified scrutiny from U.S. authorities because of its activities in Iran and Syria, which are under international sanctions intended to limit the countries’ access to sensitive technology. At the time of Plouffe’s speeches, MTN had been in a widely reported partnership for five years with a state-owned Iranian telecommunications firm.

 …

The White House declined to make Plouffe available for an interview. Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman, said Sunday that criticizing Plouffe would be unfair because MTN Group’s role in Iran was not a high-profile issue when he was invited to speak to the affiliate.

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