Three former officials from the Trump administration, who claimed they had received warnings about being targeted by Iran, sent a letter to the Justice Department seeking assistance in enhancing their security. However, they say they never received a response. The officials, Matthew Pottinger, Victoria Coates, and Robert Greenway, cited credible threats against them and their families from Iran and requested improvements in their physical and cyber security.
The officials noted in their letter that they were not explicitly asking for personal security details but wanted to discuss possible government assistance to increase their safety. This situation stems from the fallout after then-President Donald Trump authorized a drone strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Many former Trump officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, receive government-funded security due to threats from Iran.
Pottinger, Greenway, and Coates received “duty to warn” briefings from the U.S. government, indicating active threats against them. Despite this, they pursued additional security measures privately at significant personal cost. Pottinger mentioned that his name was added to an Iranian sanctions list two years after Soleimani’s assassination. Greenway’s email was reportedly hacked by Iranian actors, and the FBI intervened to help.
The letter, dated January 19, 2023, was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, with copies sent to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Pottinger mentioned notifying a Biden White House official, who assured him the letter would be flagged internally. Despite follow-up attempts, no response was received. Greenway also contacted the Justice Department for acknowledgment but did not hear back.
The Justice Department stated they had referred the letter to another agency but did not communicate this to the former officials. In June 2023, a Justice Department letter to Senator Marco Rubio acknowledged the referral of the former officials’ letter to the appropriate agencies. The National Security Council subsequently referred the matter to the intelligence community and the FBI for response.
Authorities have previously uncovered Iranian plots to kill or harm individuals in the U.S., such as the assassination attempt on Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad in 2022. Despite these threats, Iranian officials have denied any involvement in plots against former U.S. officials, dismissing such reports as unsubstantiated.
The three former officials expressed their concern that Iran might target individuals involved in the Soleimani assassination who do not have government security protection. They emphasized that they merely sought a conversation about available protective measures and felt a response from the Justice Department was warranted, even if it was a rejection.