NYT opinion writer admits being paid $265K by Iranian mission to UN: The Times refuses to tell readers that a frequent opinion writer was on the mullahs' payroll and has been arrested

American Thinker ^ | 01/26/2021 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

An opinion writer who frequently contributed op-eds to the New York Times has admitted to being paid well by the Iranian mission to the United Nations but insists that this did not make him an agent of the Iranian government or influence his writing.  Kaveh Afrasiabi is currently under arrest, accused of violating the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).  For its part, the New York Times, which still claims to publish "all the news that's fit to print," is dummying up, keeping its readers in the dark on the subject, and offering no comment.

Ira Stoll of The Algemeiner has the story:

"I received checks from the Mission's UN account and it never occurred to me that I was doing anything illegal," the New York Times opinion writer, Kaveh Afrasiabi, wrote in a statement to the Algemeiner.

"My conscience is clear, and if the US government had an iota of sense of appreciation, they would thank me for all my tireless activities for the cause of detente, non-proliferation, human rights, inter-religious dialogue and understanding," Afrasiabi said in the statement to the Algemeiner.

He called the government's claim that he was a secret Iranian agent "absurd" and "wild."

"Whatever I did was perfectly legal and fully transparent," Afrasiabi said, saying that he had believed the Foreign Agents Registration Act "only applied to those engaging in lobbying efforts on behalf of a foreign government, which I never did."

A New York Times spokesperson did not respond to a query about whether the newspaper, which according to a search on its website Monday morning had not yet covered the federal criminal complaint against Afrasiabi, plans to tell its readers about the situation. The spokesperson also did not respond to a question about whether the newspaper plans to publish an editor's note

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

[Eleutheria5]

Sell out? Bought and paid for? That’s something that we call conservatives who write positive things about Israel. Whore? It’s hard to find a good one anymore. Curse you, Giuliani! Couldn’t have have left Times Square alone. But what does all that have to do with me;-?

[SunkenCiv]

Heh...

[philman_36]

...saying that he had believed the Foreign Agents Registration Act "only applied to those engaging in lobbying efforts on behalf of a foreign government, which I never did."

What he believed isn't relevant.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse...or so we have been told.

[Amberdawn]

AND Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire who owns the Slimes.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Gee surprise surprise.

[Graybeard58]

“I received checks from the Mission’s UN account and it never occurred to me that I was doing anything illegal,”

......................................................

If ignorance were a valid excuse, every mooselimb in the world would be innocent.

[Graybeard58]

that obvious spy journalist that got chopped up by the Saudis, though his name escapes me.

............................................

I remember what you are talking about but the name is gone from my memory too. I’d bet there are paid agents in all media than any of us can imagine.

[piasa]

Kashoggi

[Graybeard58]

Thank you.