Political commentator Tucker Carlson said Saturday night that the Department of Justice may be preparing criminal charges against him for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent, a move he suggested could stem from intelligence officials reviewing his communications prior to the United States’ war with Iran.
“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty and that’s the United States and have never acted against it.”
“Legally, I think the case is ludicrous, and I doubt it’ll even become a case,” he said.
In a five-minute video posted to X, Carlson told viewers that he had learned of a potential criminal referral originating from the intelligence community, which he said could be sent to the Justice Department for prosecution.
“The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice, on the basis of a supposed crime I committed,” Carlson said in the video. According to Carlson, the allegation centers on his communication with individuals in Iran before the conflict began.
Carlson said intelligence officials had reviewed his text messages and were framing the conversations as a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the 1938 law that requires individuals working on behalf of foreign governments in lobbying or political advocacy roles to register with the Justice Department.
The former Fox News host said he believes the potential case is unlikely to move forward, arguing the circumstances do not meet the law’s requirements.
Carlson also emphasized that he has never accepted payment from any foreign government, which he said further undermines the claim.
“Don’t need it, don’t want it,” he added.
He also argued that, as an American citizen, he has the legal right to speak with people in other countries. For that reason, Carlson said he believes the potential legal theory behind the allegation is weak.
Still, Carlson said he felt compelled to raise the issue publicly because of what he believes is a broader pattern during times of war.
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