U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs

31/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/08/2024 03:08

McCaul Threatens to Subpoena the State Department For Failure to Produce Correspondence on Atheism Grants

Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington, D.C. - This week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma on the State Department's failure to produce all documents regarding its grants promoting atheism overseas. In his letter, Chairman McCaul noted he will be forced to issue a subpoena on this matter if all requested documents are not produced by August 6, 2024.

"The Department's continued non-production of the requested correspondence - including emails and text messages which are known to exist - is an unacceptable continuation of this pattern…" wrote Chairman McCaul. "The Committee thus expects all correspondence between the Department and [Humanist International] to be produced no later than August 6, 2024. Further delay in producing these emails will force me to issue a subpoena."

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Deputy Secretary Verma,

I appreciate the Department's letter in which it admitted that the Department had failed to produce all documents regarding its grants promoting atheism overseas and misrepresented to this Committee the nature of that programming. I also appreciate your expressing "enormous respect for the congressional role . . . in oversight of the Department." Unfortunately, I must write again to inform you that the Department has failed to produce, as requested nearly a year ago, all correspondence between the Department and Humanists International (HI).

On May 22, 2024, my letter to you detailed the Department's lack of candor regarding this investigation. As I observed then, the Department has engaged in a pattern of obfuscation and denial regarding the details of the grant as it sought, vis-à-vis its grantee, to expand atheist networks abroad in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Department's continued non-production of the requested correspondence - including emails and text messages which are known to exist - is an unacceptable continuation of this pattern.
In this regard, during recent interactions with representatives of the grantee, the Committee confirmed that the Department primarily corresponded with HI via email, as well as with text messages, throughout the duration of the grant.
Yet, this correspondence - which has been characterized as pertaining to directives by the State Department to the grantee "to neutralize language in all materials that were submitted to the State Department" and to "not include [] language [regarding atheism/humanist membership] in documents submitted to the State Department" - has not been produced to the Committee. This is notwithstanding assertions by the Department that "[a]ll the correspondence was gathered together, actually, for production to the committee." Such revelations are alarming and remain a pressing matter for congressional oversight.
The Committee thus expects all correspondence between the Department and HI to be produced no later than August 6, 2024. Further delay in producing these emails will force me to issue a subpoena. Finally, in your letter to the Committee dated April 29, 2024, you committed to "tak[e] immediate action" against HI, to "recoup [ ] misused funds," to "refer [the matter] to the Suspension and Debarment office," or to "refer[] the matter to the OIG for further action." The Committee has stated its expectation "to be informed fully, and without delay, of all developments in this matter." Accordingly, the Committee expects a comprehensive update on this matter imminently.
###