No, GOP. $400M Payment To Iran Was Not 'Secret', Nor Cash For Hostages

Today's effort to run interference for Donald Trump comes from the likes of Rep. Mike Pompeo and the Wall Street Journal, who have ginned up a bogus story about a "secret payment" of $400 million to Iran, delivered in cash in return for the people being held hostage in Iran.

If the press had the collective memory of a peanut, this would be a complete non-story. But because we have a right-wing echo chamber, social media, and many distractions, it's now blowing up into a story devoid of facts and even logic.

The facts, in bullet form:

• When the U.S. Embassy was taken over in 1979, the Carter Administration declined to deliver weapons the Shah had ordered and paid $400 million for.
• When the Iran deal was struck, it was agreed that the United States would refund the $400 million with interest accrued over the years, for a total of $1.7 billion.
• As a good-faith gesture, Iran released hostages at the same time the agreement went into effect.

The video at the top is President Obama's full statement. Here is the relevant part, from his published statement which is available to everyone, including reporters paid a lot more than me.

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