Former Trump Officials Warned of Iranian Threats, Seek Justice Department's Help

WASHINGTON — Eighteen months ago, three former Trump administration officials, who had been informed of credible threats from Iran, wrote a letter to the Justice Department seeking assistance with their security but did not receive a response. The officials—former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger, along with Victoria Coates and Robert Greenway, both top officials focused on the Middle East at the National Security Council—provided a copy of this letter to NBC News.

“It is clear there are specific, credible threats against us and our families by Iran and those inspired to act on Iran’s behalf,” they stated in the letter. “This necessitates urgent steps to improve our physical and cyber security.”

In January 2020, then-President Donald Trump authorized a drone strike in Iraq that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The U.S. government has long maintained that Iran has plotted to retaliate against the U.S. for Soleimani's death. Top Iranian officials have made explicit threats against current and former U.S. officials they hold responsible for Soleimani’s death. In early 2023, an IRGC commander declared on live television, “God willing we will be able to kill” Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and a U.S. general.

Some former Trump administration officials, including Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton, receive personal security protection funded by the U.S. government due to the potential threat from Iran. The Biden administration also recently received intelligence indicating a possible Iranian assassination plot against former President Donald Trump, according to NBC News.

In an interview with NBC News, Pottinger, Greenway, and Coates explained that they had previously received "duty to warn" briefings from the U.S. government about active threats against them from Iran. These briefings are conducted when the government uncovers evidence that someone's life may be at risk.

The officials emphasized that their letter was not a direct request for personal security details but a call for discussions on potential government assistance to enhance their safety against cyber and physical threats.

“What we were asking for was not a specific remedy,” Pottinger said. “We wanted a conversation.”

Pottinger mentioned that he became a target for Iran about two years after Soleimani's assassination, when Iran sanctioned him among 51 Americans allegedly involved in the operation. Greenway noted that his email was hacked by Iranian actors in December 2022, with the FBI assisting in cleaning up the breach. The hack aimed to gather digital information to track his location.

“There are a lot of other things the government could do,” besides providing personal security details, Greenway said, “and they’re not.”

The Biden administration ceased providing personal security for former national security adviser Robert O’Brien nearly a year ago, despite a belief that he was under threat from Iran, according to a source familiar with the decision. This decision was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. A U.S. official clarified that threats are assessed on an individual basis and that those subject to active threats receive security.

Pottinger, Coates, and Greenway expressed concern that Iran might target former officials involved in the Soleimani assassination who lack government security protection. “Iran may choose to prioritize as targets those of us who lack the protection afforded to others on its hitlist,” they wrote.

All three have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars personally to enhance their security.

Their 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 recounted that he informed a Biden White House official about the letter shortly after sending it and followed up when he received no response. The official assured him that it would be flagged internally, but Pottinger has yet to receive any further communication.

Greenway also reached out to the Justice Department requesting acknowledgment of the letter but did not receive a response.

The three former officials acknowledged in their letter that “It is unclear who the appropriate authority within the U.S. government should be responsible for providing protection for us.” They sent the letter to Garland under the assumption that the Justice Department adjudicates which agencies provide security protections to former officials.

Justice Department officials informed NBC News that the letter had been referred to another agency, but did not explain why the three former officials were not notified or responded to directly.

In a June 2023 letter to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Justice Department official mentioned the letter from the former Trump officials, stating, “The Department has referred the January 19 letter to the appropriate government agencies responsible for making determinations about protective services regarding particular individuals.”

Following the letter from the former officials, the National Security Council referred the matter to the intelligence community and the FBI, requesting a response.

Federal authorities have previously uncovered Iranian plots to harm opponents inside the U.S. In July 2022, a hired assassin approached the Brooklyn home of Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad but was arrested before he could act. This led to the discovery of an Iranian-directed murder-for-hire scheme involving two other men.

In recent weeks, U.S. officials detected a possible Iranian threat against Trump and warned his campaign of the increased risk. On Tuesday, Iranian state media dismissed reports of an Iranian plot against Trump, calling the accusations “unsubstantiated and malicious” and suggesting that Trump should face justice in a court of law.