EXHIBIT 2

Case 6:23-cv-00609-JDK Document 23-2 Filed 02/28/24 Page 1 of 4 PageID #: 691
February 16, 2024

Mr. James P. Rubin Ms. Naz Durakoğlu

Special Envoy and Coordinator Assistant Secretary

Global Engagement Center Bureau of Legislative Affairs

U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW 2201 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20520 Washington, DC 20520

Dear Mr. Rubin and Ms. Durakoğlu:

The Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and 

Regulations (Committee) writes in response to the U.S. Department of State’s (State) February 

14, 2024 letter in which you expressed concern that redacted copies of unclassified documents 

produced to this Committee appeared in a news article.1 The letter concludes with a veiled threat 

to further impede this investigation by allowing this Committee to only view documents incamera. Not only is this an impermissible standard, but it improperly hinders congressional 

oversight.

In order to update members of this Committee on its investigation into the 

Administration’s censorship and revenue interference of American small businesses by proxy, 

Committee staff drafted a memo to its members on January 5, 2024, including copies of State’s 

incomplete December 3, 2023 production. In heeding State’s concerns over the “sensitive 

nature” of the information- despite the fact that much of it is publicly available on 

USAspending.gov- Committee staff redacted all award numbers and applicable countries from 

the material prior to sending. No classified information was shared (either by State with the 

Committee or by Committee staff with its members), nor does the Committee need to ask State’s 

permission before distributing information to its members.

This Committee originally wrote to you about this investigation on June 7, 2023.

2 When 

no response came from State, despite repeated attempts to reach your staff for an update, the 

Committee sent a follow-up letter on July 24, 2023 reiterating its narrow request.3It was not 

until December 3, 2023, nearly six months after the original June 21, 2023 due date had passed, 

1 Letter from Naz Durakoğlu, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Leg. Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, to Roger Williams, 

Chairman, H. Comm. on Small Bus. (Feb. 14, 2024).

2 Letter from Roger Williams, et al., Chairman, H. Comm. on Small Bus., to James P. Rubin, Special Envoy and 

Coordinator, Global Engagement Center, U.S. Dep’t of State (Jun. 7, 2023).

3 Letter from Roger Williams, et al., Chairman, H. Comm. on Small Bus., to James P. Rubin, Special Envoy and 

Coordinator, Global Engagement Center, U.S. Dep’t of State (Jul. 24, 2023).

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Mr. James P. Rubin

Ms. Naz Durakoğlu

February 16, 2024

Page 2 of 3

that State provided partial production to the Committee.4 State produced a five-page spreadsheet 

that only partially adhered to the Committee’s requests. Despite State’s claims that the 

Department had been working around the clock to produce this information to the Committee, it 

is clear the partial production was a weak attempt to placate this Committee’s request, omitting 

approximately one hundred cooperative agreements and completely failing to produce 

information on other grants, including project grants, altogether. This omission is evidenced by 

the fact that many of the awards State omitted appear online at USAspending.gov.

The original requested documents were due back to the Committee no later than June 21, 

2023. The first document request was intentionally narrowly tailored to enable a quick response.

Instead, State took nearly one month per page of production that did not fully satisfy the request. 

However, the nature of that information prompted this Committee to expand its request in a 

subsequent letter on January 8, 2024, asking that all project grants, cooperative agreements, and 

other awards be produced. In order to ensure that award recipients were not serving as passthrough entities to companies carrying out nefarious activities, the Committee also requested 

information on subawardees.5 As we had not heard back, the Committee requested, in the 

interim, a briefing from a grant officer and grant officer representative in order to understand the 

procedure behind administering these awards. We have yet to hear back from State on that

request.

This Committee will not be deterred by State’s hedging, threats, or other impediments to 

its investigation. Today we write to reiterate our previous requests and formalize our request for 

a briefing. As the January 22, 2024 due date for the below has passed, the Committee expects a 

response as soon as possible and would appreciate your prompt, thorough reply:

1. Unredacted list of all GEC grant recipients and associated award numbers from FY 2019 –

present, in addition to any other awards, project grants, or cooperative agreements that 

were omitted from the December 3 partial production.

2. Unredacted copies of all contracts and related documentation (including communications 

describing scope of work) for every GEC award, project grant, and cooperative 

agreement from FY 2018 – present.

3. A list of all subawardees/subgrantees and any pertinent contracts for FY 2018 – present.

4. A description of GEC’s process for screening, approving, and overseeing 

subawardees/subgrantees.

5. A list of all GEC contractors for FY 2018 – present and unredacted copies of all 

associated contracts.

4 On file with the Committee.

5 Letter from Roger Williams, et al., Chairman, H. Comm. on Small Bus., to James P. Rubin, Special Envoy and 

Coordinator, Global Engagement Center, U.S. Dep’t of State (Jan. 8, 2024).

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Mr. James P. Rubin

Ms. Naz Durakoğlu

February 16, 2024

Page 3 of 3

6. A list of all GEC subcontractors for FY 2018 – present. 

7. A copy of GEC’s internal file named “2023.02.14 GEC-GDI-BLACKLIST.docx.” 

8. A briefing with a grant officer and grant officer representative responsible for Global 

Engagement Center awards.

To schedule the delivery of your response or ask any related follow-up questions, please 

contact the Committee on Small Business Staff at (202) 225-5821. The Committee on Small 

Business has broad authority to investigate “problems of all types of small business” under 

House Rule X. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this inquiry.

In God We Trust,

__________________________ __________________________

Roger Williams Beth Van Duyne

Chairman Chairman

Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, 

Investigations, and Regulations

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