NIAC’s internal documents

Series 5 (Part 2)

How did NIAC spend the Congressional Funds?

1. How did NIAC spend the Congressional funds?

The review of Trita Parsi and Mansouri’s communications shows that the 2005-2007 projects funded by NED and Eurasia Funds were limited to the activities of one single person, Mohammad Mansouri who was hired by NIAC as NGO consultant. He reported his activities to Trita Parsi and Parsi reported back to NED and EF.

The review of the discovery documents suggests that Parsi and Mansouri’s main concern was to get the funds from NED and EF at any price and under any pretext. For them, the Congressional fund was “a good source of income for them.”

Not only they tried to get money under false pretexts, they also intended to not return the unused funds. These private communications suggest a pattern of deception and attempt to defraud the Congressional funds.

Here are some of Mansouri and Trita Parsi’s communications:

*************

• Document: Mansouri’s email Don’t return the money back to NED,  5.9.2006)

“I will gather my reciepts of the last 8 months and send it over soon. There are something like $350 for the cell phone, less than $100 for calling Tehran and maybe another $250 for expenses such as internet connection, at the most. You have to find other ways to take care of the rest of it. It won’t be a good idea to pay some money back to NED from the last year’s budget.”

• Mansoori’s reaction to the approval of new NED grant:

Document: Mansouri’s email “We nailed down NED, 3.17.2006

“Wow!

I got your message. I’m happy to hear that we nailed down NED and hope to get the other 70K so that we can run this for a while.”

————————————————————————————————

• Mansouri to Parsi: Go for 12k increments. It’s psychologically more understandable like 1000 per month

Document: Email exchange between Parsi and Mansouri

Trita Parsi:

“Mohammad jon, let’s talk per phone tomorrow. Unfortunately, as I explained earlier, your salary is 60 – 72 is the budget, i.e. that   includes taxes as well as benefits. Perhaps we should change the EF budget asap before they show the board?

Mansouri:

“You are right, maybe we should give EF a try. Again my suggestion is go for 12k increments. It’s psychologically more understandable like 1000 per month. This usually works better if we approach people (individual donors). It would be very good if we raise it up to 96K. However, do not worry yourself at all. We do our best and see what might come out of it. Even if nothing works out, there will be always other sources to tap and other things to do.”

————————————————————————————————

• Find another pretext to ask for money:

Document: Mansouri’s email “Ask for  money under different description, 1.12.2006

Mansouri and Parsi try to charge NED for a training course for Mansouri. They fear that such item in the spending report could seem strange and unjustified to NED. Mansouri suggests that they get this money under a false description.

Parsi:

“How much would a course there cost? I am wondering if we could get it ,into the budget. It might look strange. but do look into it.”

Mansouri:

“I totally agree with you; it looks strange to request such a thing. However, you might be able to add a reasonable amount of money by the title of “capacity building” or alike and increase the total amount of the grant. The more total among is, the more credit goes to NIAC and all of us. This will lead us to even a better situation in the future.”

————————————————————————————————

2- Congressional funds were spent for NIAC’s own activities that were not related to NGO projects.

Mansouri, the man who carried out the entire project lived and worked in California but NIAC charged the NED for its office rent in Washington:

Document: Mansouri’s email , 8.27.2005

“Trita jaan,

I am not planning to come back to Washington DC any time soon. But there is nothing to be worried about. I can conduct my responsibilities from anywhere as long as I have access to the internet and telephone! And if for any reason, it was absolutely necessary for me to be in DC or NY or anywhere else, I can arrange to be there as long as I have been given ample notice.”

Document: Mansouri’s email

“From: Mohammad Mansouri [mailto:mmansouri@niacouncil.org]

Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 8:39 PM

To: Trita Parsi

Subject: RE: salaam

Well, I can commit myself to work between 35 to 40 hours per week on this project if it pays me around the same $5000 we planned for. Right now, I work 35 hours per week for the HAND. I will either drop it all together or reduce it to something like 15 hours per week, which makes it possible to handle for me (I mean working like 50 to 60 hours per week). Also, it is only an average I imagine for myself. In fact, I have to travel twice for out new project and each one of them is going to take about 1 month. Therefore, I really don’t think that Noosheen accepts the way I want to continue with her; we have to wait and see what her reaction will be.”

• While Mansouri lived and worked in CA, NIAC used the NED money for its office expenses in Washington:

Parsi’s email to NIAC’s board members:

Document: Trita parsi’s email to NIAC board members , 11.30.2005)

“A proposal is also being written to renew our NED grant. They gave us 64k last year, and we hope to get more this year. This money has essentially covered our office expenses this year, and proved to be crucial for our survival.”

Overall, NIAC charged NED $31500 for  its Washington DC office rent:

Document “Report_from_N.I.A.C..pdf2”

————————————————————————————————

• Mansouri and Parsi looked at the NED fund as a good source of income

Document: Mansouri’s email: Good source of income for all  of us, 7.4.2007 – 1.17

“Regarding NED, I think we should apply for another grant. Something different than EF but somehow related. It can be a source of income for NIAC and maybe all of us.”

————————————————————————————————

• Unrelated expenses after the end of the project

NIAC’s NED related projects were officially terminated in September 2007. However, NIAC’s internal document show that NED’s remaining money was spent as far as April 2008, for items totally unrelated to NGO projects.

For example, $1230 was spent to buy flowers for a NIAC fundraising event in California. The documents show that NIAC used the money fron NED account to send flowers to a dozen of persons who were among the host committee of a NIAC fundraising, advertised as “anti war” event. The money raised during this event helped NIAC’s lobby activity in the Congres. The event was unrelated to NED projects and was held in 2008, well after the termination of NED projects.

• Purchase of flowers for 12 persons. We find the names of persons who received flowers

Document: “Report_from_N.I.A.C. 17”

• Here is the NIAC fundraising. We find the same names listed as the host committee members

Document, NIAC fundraising in CA

————————————————————————————————

3-  NIAC misled NED officials about its outreach to the Iranian NGOs

The 2005-2007 projects were initially approved to establish communication with the Iranian NGOs:

Document: “NED Version – National Iranian American Council – FINISHED

“The main purpose of the website is to advise local groups on capacity building and to cultivate relationships between Iranian NGOs and international donors.  To meet this end, the resource expert will correspond by phone and by e-mail with local groups on capacity building, project development and proposal writing issues.  NIAC will also circulate an electronic Persian-language monthly newsletter to local groups on resource material updates, new funding opportunities and upcoming training activities… NIAC will also hire a Persian-English speaking resource expert to advise local groups on project development, proposal writing and foreign donor relations.”

Regarding project’s success and the outreach to the Iranian NGOs, there is a sharp contrast between the positive reports submitted by Trita Parsi to NED from one hand and the content of private communications between him and M. Mansouri on the other hand.

Mansouri advised Parsi to hide the truth from NED officials.

• NED email question: (11.18.2005)

“I would love to hear about your resource expert. Has s/he been receiving inquires from local NGOs in Iran? Is there enough demand? Do they have to call US to get his/her advise or does s/he have a local line?

• Mansouri’s email responding to Parsi about list of Iranian NGOs, 11.18.2005

“If you mean the list of NGOs that have been registered with us. I believe Sean might have the complete list. I don’t know how to retrieve data about them from the site. However, I don’t suggest to give them that. First of all, there are only 30 to 40 people that most of them have not mentioned the name of the NGO they are working for.”

And finally if you would like to have the list of NGOs I sent the invitation and introduction to our site. It is attached to this email (directory 2.xls). But as far as I remember they are mostly diaspora-based NGOs that I approached so that they can spread the word and join us themselves. I got several “thank you very much”, “what a wonderful site!” “what an interesting educational center!” and so on and so forth comments from them and that was it.

• Parsi modified Mansouri’s response and reported to NED

Document: Parsi’s email to NED 11.18.2005

“Yes, we have received quite a few inquiries from various NGOs in Iran, but they haven’t been very keen on posting it on the forum openly though.”

• Again, Parsi asks Mansouri and Mansouri responds

Email exchange between Parsi and Mansouri

Trita Parsi:

“Thanks. Don’t we have a list of NGOs in Iran that you have been in contact with?”

Mansouri:

“Well, there are not many of them. Just few of people who ever contacted me mentioned the name of a NGO. They were mostly those who wanted to establish one or didn’t want to talk about their NGOs! The only few ones who mentioned the name of their NGO, were looking for possible funding. I don’t think it is a good strategy to give out this list to NED.

• NED persists and Parsi turns to Mansouri again:

Document: Parsi’s email: 2.6.06

“How many NGOs have you been in contact with by now? How big is our own database?”

• Document: Mansouri’s email (2.6 .2006)

“Unfortunately, not so many NGOs have been in touch with us through our website. At least, not as many as we anticipated. The total number of NGOs that either registered with us, sent emails, asked questions, and simple sent some simple notes are not more than 40 as I mentioned in my previous email.”

One examples of Parsi’s report to NED presenting a dynamic and positive relation with the Iranian NGOs:

• Document:” Report to NED, 20060131“

“Third, outreach to Iranian NGOs has continued at an increasing pace. Web-advertisement has increased and we have targeted the three most popular Iranian websites – Payvand.com, Iranian.com, and Gooya.com.

Overall, as the website has become more known among Iranian NGOs, the flow of inquiries and emails has increased noticeably.

Dr. Mansouri has continued to advise and answer the questions sent to the Center by various Iranian NGOs. Though most questions pertain to funding.”