Demand Investigation Into Lauren Chen's Visa and Revocation of Status

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action regarding the Trump administration's decision to assist Lauren Chen in obtaining a visa to return to the United States. Chen is the founder of Tenet Media, which was exposed by the FBI in September 2024 as a Russian propaganda operation that received approximately $10 million in illicit funding from Russian state media outlet RT. According to the Southern District of New York indictment, Chen and her husband Liam Donovan allegedly schemed with RT employees to direct this funding and created fictional personas to mislead commentators about the money's source. After losing her work visa following the indictment, Chen left the country in July. Yet on Christmas Day, she announced her return to Nashville, specifically thanking Joe Rittenhouse, a senior adviser on consular affairs at the State Department, for "moving mountains" to ensure her return. The federal case against Tenet's funders remains open. Chen is at the center of an active investigation involving money laundering and foreign influence operations targeting American audiences. Despite this, the administration intervened on her behalf while simultaneously implementing the most restrictive visa policies in recent history, even denying visas to activists opposed to disinformation. This double standard is unconscionable. Hardworking immigrants who have contributed to their communities for years face deportation and family separation, while someone allegedly involved in a Russian propaganda scheme receives special assistance from State Department officials. The message this sends is clear: connections to the right political networks matter more than national security or the integrity of our immigration system. Congress must immediately investigate why Chen received this preferential treatment and who authorized it. I urge you to demand answers from the State Department, FBI, and CBP about their role in her return. Most importantly, move to revoke her visa status while these serious allegations remain unresolved. Our immigration system should prioritize national security and fairness, not political favoritism for alleged foreign agents.