Morteza Esmailpour – Nov 27

Bijan R. Kian is an Iranian-American businessman and former U.S. government official. Born in Tehran in 1952, he immigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in both business and public service. Kian served as a board member of the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 2006 to 2011, nominated by President George W. Bush, and was a member of the White House Business Council. He also held the position of Director of Foreign Investment for California, overseeing the state’s $92 billion foreign investment portfolio. In 2015, he co-founded the Flynn Intel Group with Michael Flynn, focusing on international consulting. Their work, particularly lobbying for Turkish interests, led to legal challenges. In 2019, Kian was convicted on charges related to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Turkey. However, the conviction was overturned later that year due to insufficient evidence. In 2023, federal prosecutors dropped all charges against him, concluding that pursuing the case was not in the public interest. Throughout his career, Kian has been involved in various cultural and philanthropic initiatives, including co-founding the Nowruz Commission, a nonprofit organization celebrating Persian culture

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