A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen accused of helping Iran's military and nuclear program obtain sensitive American technology used millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the scheme to fund the construction of his Newport Beach mansion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Jamshid Ghomi, 63, an Iranian-American businessman who lives in Newport Coast, California, was charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions laws by supplying export-restricted American networking, security and encryption equipment to customers in Iran, including entities tied to the country's military and nuclear enrichment programs. "As alleged, Ghomi enriched himself by supplying U.S. technology to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and other sanctioned entities responsible for Iran’s nuclear program," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement. The arrest comes amid a broader federal crackdown on Iranian procurement networks and intelligence ope...
Senate Republicans rallied against permanently killing President Donald Trump's nearly $2 billion "anti-weaponization" fund despite heavy criticism among their ranks. Republicans and Democrats shut down an amendment from Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., that would prevent the fund from ever returning and instead divert the funding to the nation's fraud fund. Though Senate Democrats despise the "anti-weaponization" fund, diverting the money was a bridge too far for nearly the entire caucus. A dozen Republicans voted for the amendment, however, signaling a broad distaste for the fund and any future plans the administration may have for it. The amendment’s failure could put to bed the growing push to codify a permanent end to the fund and comes after hours of delays at the onset of the Senate's marathon voting spree to pass the GOP's nearly $70 billion immigration enforcement package. BOTH PARTIES TARGET TRUMP'S $2B FUND AS ICE FUNDING PACKAGE ENTERS DAN...