New Delhi: Conservative US political commentator Tucker Carlson has alleged that the Central Intelligence Agency accessed his private messages and may be trying to portray him as a foreign agent because of his communications with people in Iran.
What Carlson claims?
In a video posted on social media, Carlson has claimed that US intelligence officials have read text messages he exchanged with Iranian contacts before the recent military escalation between the two countries. According to him, the agency is preparing a “criminal referral” to the United States Department of Justice, potentially accusing him of acting on behalf of a foreign power.
Carlson subsequently suggested that the possible allegation could fall under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a statute that requires individuals working politically on behalf of foreign governments to disclose their activities to US authorities. However he rejected the idea that he was acting for any foreign state, saying that he had never received money from a foreign government and insisted that speaking to sources in other countries is part of his job as a journalist and political commentator.
Carlson also argued that the alleged move against him could be politically motivated, saying his recent criticism of US foreign policy, particularly in terms of Iran and increasing US allegiance to Israel, may be the reason for the US security establishment going against him.
However, neither the CIA nor the Justice Department has publicly confirmed any investigation or charges related to Carlson’s claims. Carlson said he does not expect the matter to develop into a real criminal case, reiterating that he is “not an agent of a foreign power” and that communicating with people abroad is a routine part of his work.