A decision by the State Department about removing an Iranian dissident group from the U.S. list of foreign terror groups could be made within 60 days, a Justice Department lawyer told a federal court on May 8, 2012.  Speaking at the hearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, lawyers for the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) argued that the State Department must comply with a lower court’s previous order from 2010 and make a decision on the group’s status. Despite its designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. in 1997, the MEK has the support of many prominent former U.S. officials who are being paid to speak out against the group’s listing.

According to the Washington Times, State “will decide on removing the MEK from the list no later than 60 days after Camp Ashraf has been vacated, and data gathered from the relocation has been studied to verify the group’s claims that it is not a terror group.” Camp Ashraf is a disputed settlement in Iraq where nearly 3,000 Iranians live, and is home to many MEK officials.

The Treasury Department has an ongoing investigation into payments made to MeK supporters, for possible violation of sanctions that prohibit financial dealings with terrorist groups.  U.S. law prohibits giving to or receiving funds from a listed terrorist group. It is also illegal to advocate on behalf of a designated terrorist group if that advocacy is coordinated with them. Reports indicate that the former high ranking government officials received about $20-30,000 per speech and a variety of perks, including first-class airfare to European cities.