House Republicans Request Federal Investigation into Mamdani Admin for Potential Logan Act ViolationOlivia Rondeau 16 Jul 2026
A request for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration for potential violations of the Logan Act has been filed by House Republicans, led by Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC).
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche received the letter on Thursday morning after it was revealed that a senior Mamdani official attempted to organize an unauthorized meeting with a high-ranking member of the Iranian regime while the country remains at war with the United States.
The other lawmakers who signed on to the letter are Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Earl Carter (R-GA), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Randy Fine (R-FL), Clay Fuller (R-GA), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Richard McCormick (R-GA), Max Miller (R-OH), Riley Moore (R-WV), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY).
“We write with concern about the recent actions of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Administration,” McDowell wrote. “Last week, media outlets began to report Commissioner Ana María Archila, the head of the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, had scheduled a July 7 meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani.”
Archila and two other senior officials from Mamdani’s international affairs office were set to meet with Iravani on July 7 at 11:00 a.m., according to screenshots of a calendar invitation obtained by City Journal. The outlet confirmed with sources connected to the international affairs community and Archila’s office that the meeting was set.
An official from the State Department also confirmed that Archila had set the meeting, which was called off after the federal agency found out about it and confronted the Mamdani administration about it. The subject of the proposed meeting remains unclear.
State Department officials reportedly had to “clarify acceptable conduct” with Mamdani officials, with the City Journal noting that Archila allegedly did not inform Mamdani of the meeting and was reprimanded by the mayor’s office.
“As you know, negotiations with Iran are in a critical stage,” the letter continued. “Given its timing, we believe this proposed meeting may have presented significant national security risks.”
The House Republicans went on to ask the DOJ to investigate the socialist mayor’s office for potential violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits American citizens from holding unauthorized negotiations with foreign governments in disputes involving the U.S.
“Mayor Mamdani’s and Commissioner Archila’s actions create a clear conflict of interest with the United States’ strategic military actions in Iran and across the Middle East, warranting further examination by the Department,” the letter argued, before the lawmakers stated their support for President Donald Trump’s “effort to shore up American economic and national security interests in the Middle East.”
“… [W]e understand the vulnerable nature of continued peace negotiations,” the letter continued. “For that reason, we believe that a formal investigation is necessary to determine whether Commissioner Archila, acting on behalf of Mayor Mamdani, engaged in any unlawful activity or communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
A spokesperson with the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs told the City Journal in a statement, “This meeting did not and will not take place.”
Mamdani himself claimed at an unrelated press conference that the proposed meeting was a result of a “request that came in” to the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, “not one that originated from the office.”
He added that his administration is now working on an updated protocol for managing meeting requests, the New York Times reported.
The State Department said in a Friday statement to the outlet that it was “unconscionable” that a New York City official would meet with an Iranian ambassador at this time, and that the department was appreciative that the meeting was called off.
In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, McDowell said that “undermining national security has serious risks, and the Mayor of New York should know better than to meddle in our foreign affairs during the height of negotiations between the White House and Iran.”
“The Department of Justice needs to look into Mamdani’s office and ensure they are not acting as rogue agents to the detriment of America’s national security,” the congressman continued. “Mamdani does not speak for America. President Trump earned the public’s trust to ensure the safety and security of the United States.”
Archila is a progressive activist who was previously the subject of Breitbart News coverage after she accosted then-Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in an elevator about his support for Brett Kavanaugh becoming a Supreme Court justice.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought Archila as her guest to President Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address after her stunt with Flake.
Before being appointed to the Mamdani administration in February, Archila did not have significant experience in international affairs. Instead, she made a name for herself as co-executive director at the Soros-funded Center for Popular Democracy (CPD).
She also previously served as co-director of the left-leaning Working Families Party, and co-founded and led progressive organizations such as Make the Road New York.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/16/exclusive-house-republicans-request-federal-investigation-into-mamdani-admin-for-potential-logan-act-violation/
