A senior Trump administration official at the State Department is under investigation for allegedly assaulting a colleague inside the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters. Gavin Wax, chief of staff to the under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, is accused of forcefully pushing Ali Motamedi, a special assistant to the U.S. special envoy to Greenland, and threatening him in an encounter near an elevator bank in early July.
According to a formal complaint filed by Motamedi and exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail, the incident began during a work day near a sixth-floor elevator. Motamedi claims Wax confronted him, placed a hand on his chest, and stated, "If you ever talk s*** about me or my family again, I will beat the f*** out of you." Motamedi further alleged that Wax then "forcefully pushed me before turning around and reentering the elevator."
The State Department is investigating Wax for assault. The dispute centers on two starkly different accounts of the interaction. While Motamedi's complaint details an unprovoked physical confrontation, a source supportive of Wax's account claims the situation escalated due to Motamedi allegedly making antisemitic remarks about Wax's Jewish heritage.
Neither Wax nor Motamedi have responded to requests for comment. The formal complaint states that the encounter began when Motamedi entered an elevator and found Wax with Charles Yockey, a special adviser at the State Department, who is described as the key witness.
Motamedi wrote that Wax initiated a "tense, but civil" conversation about a recent exchange between their offices, which he claimed started over routine matters like dinner receipts and expense reimbursements. However, a source supporting Wax disputed Motamedi's denial of prior animosity, alleging that Motamedi had a "pre-existing animus" and was "strangely fixated" on Wax's Jewish heritage, reportedly making derogatory remarks about it and questioning his wife's Catholic faith.
A State Department source aligned with Motamedi's account has flatly rejected the antisemitism claims, stating Motamedi never commented on Wax's heritage or family. This source asserted that Motamedi's only voiced opposition was during his prior White House role, when he opposed Wax's hiring.
The source also indicated that Yockey, the alleged witness, corroborated Wax's version of events during a Diplomatic Security review, denying that Wax touched or threatened Motamedi.
Adding complexity, a State Department official familiar with the case suggested that video evidence from surveillance cameras within the Harry S Truman Building might exist, noting the presence of multiple cameras. This source expressed concern that the investigation is proceeding unusually slowly and that Wax "has the ear of Donald Trump," potentially influencing the process.
This official emphasized the seriousness of the physical allegations, suggesting that such conduct could lead to termination if substantiated. However, another source who spoke with investigators stated there was no video or eyewitness evidence supporting the physical violence claims. Conversely, a source supporting Motamedi’s account claimed security cameras did capture Wax placing an arm over Motamedi's shoulder and a hand on his chest, suggesting a push might be obscured by camera angles.
Any finding of criminal conduct could be referred to the Justice Department. The State Department officially stated, "We do not comment on internal personnel matters."
This is not the first time Wax has faced accusations of threatening behavior from a former Trump administration colleague. In October, Michael Bartels, a former senior adviser at the Small Business Administration, detailed in an affidavit that Wax allegedly demanded a private chat log, threatened his professional standing, and raised possible legal actions. This affidavit surfaced after Politico published leaked messages from Republican group chats, a leak that rivals attributed to Wax, though his allies denied his involvement.
Wax led the New York Young Republican Club for six years before joining the State Department. He has been associated with Trump since 2019, transforming the club into what he called "a vanguard of the Trump movement." Trump himself publicly acknowledged Wax at the club's annual gala in December 2023.
One State Department source described Wax as having an "abrasive and difficult personality" and noted that recent controversies have diminished his rapport with colleagues. Another official familiar with both men questioned the extent of Wax's influence with Trump, while noting Motamedi works under Jeff Landry, the special envoy to Greenland, who reportedly has a personal relationship with the former president.