Zeldin Accuses State Department of Political Sanctions

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.) is accusing the Biden State Department of handing down political sanctions.

According to The Washington Free Beacon:

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.) is accusing the Biden State Department of leveling sanctions on the former president of Albania as recompense for the ex-president’s loyalty to U.S. Republicans and fierce opposition to Democratic megadonor George Soros.

Zeldin, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been pressing the State Department for months to provide concrete evidence that Sali Berisha, a close Bush family ally, is involved in “significant corruption,” as the Biden administration said when it sanctioned him in May. Berisha served as Albania’s president from 1992 to 1997 and as its prime minister from 2005 to 2013.

The Biden administration has stonewalled Zeldin’s investigation for more than five months and is refusing to provide the congressman with “credible information that Berisha was involved in significant corruption.” The State Department would also not provide this information to the Washington Free Beacon.

“For months on end, the Biden State Department has refused time and again to provide real, detailed answers about the allegations of ‘significant corruption’ used to sanction former Albanian president Sali Berisha, an ally to both Presidents Bush and opponent of major Democratic Party donor and progressive activist George Soros,” Zeldin told the Free Beacon. “Despite multiple requests for a meeting and additional information from my office, the State Department has only provided sporadic, cagey responses that dance around the questions and do not address Mr. Berisha’s specific actions that qualify as ‘corruption’ or the decision-making process the Administration used to determine that sanctions were appropriate. Judging by this most recent response, it is clear that they do not feel the need to be transparent with the press or respect Congress’ oversight role over the Executive Branch.”

The Biden administration refuses to say why they are issuing the sanctions, something that is usually included, in detail, when sanctions are handed down.