A senior Trump administration official is under investigation following allegations that he threatened and shoved a colleague during a heated confrontation inside a State Department elevator earlier this month.

According to reports, Ali Motamedi, a special assistant to the U.S. envoy for Greenland, filed a complaint accusing Gavin Wax, chief of staff to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, of placing a hand on his chest, threatening to assault him, and forcefully pushing him during the dispute.

Motamedi alleges the confrontation began over previous disagreements between their offices before escalating. In his complaint, he claims Wax warned him, “If you ever open your mouth about me or my family again, I’ll beat you up,” before making physical contact.

Supporters of Wax strongly dispute the allegations, claiming the argument centered on expense reimbursements and asserting that Motamedi had previously made remarks about Wax’s Jewish background and questioned his wife’s Catholic faith. Motamedi’s associates deny those accusations.

The State Department’s Office of Special Investigations has opened an inquiry into the incident and is reviewing whether security cameras captured the encounter. Conflicting reports have emerged over the existence and significance of any surveillance footage, with some sources saying no evidence has been found to support claims of physical violence, while others insist video shows at least some physical contact.

The investigation has also sparked claims from some State Department officials that the matter is moving slowly because of Wax’s perceived influence within President Donald Trump’s circle. Other officials have rejected those assertions.

The allegations are not the first involving Wax. Last year, a senior Small Business Administration adviser accused him of making threats related to workplace matters, and his name also surfaced in connection with leaked racist and antisemitic messages from groups affiliated with the New York Young Republican Club. Wax denied those allegations and remained in his position.

If investigators uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the matter could ultimately be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for possible prosecution.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)