John Kerry Invested in Company Which Actively Violates Iran Sanctions

The Obama administration nominated Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to succeed Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State on Friday, a move which was widely anticipated after Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration for the position.  

Although a much less controversial choice than Rice, John Kerry has some questionable doings and worldly-views that Americans may find disconcerning. Is John Kerry the right choice for Secretary of State? 

Kerry, who has been in office since 1985, has supported radical movements and causes in the past. Most recently, Kerry has come out in support of Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring, two causes that called for radical change, by radical means.

Kerry has also supported controversial United Nations (U.N.) proposals, including the Kyoto accords and the U.N's Rights of Persons with Disabilities treaty - the former required carbon taxes and the latter prompted U.S. sovereignty concerns from the treaty's opponents. 

Kerry also has questionable allies throughout the world. Back in May, he made a trip to Egypt in order to meet with the Muslim Brotherhood and the then-presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi, who has recently come under fire for proposing controversial amendments to Egypt's constitution. Senator Kerry also seems to be supportive of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, who is also in the midst of a major human rights controversy.

Senator Kerry also has some financial dealings which question where his allegiances lay.

Kerry, who is one of the richest members in Congress (#3, but who's counting?), has investments in the Brazilian-based oil and gas company Petrobras, which has been accused of violating sanctions placed upon Iran with their numerous investments in the country's energy sector.

The issue was first brought about when 50 members of Congress submitted a list of 27 ambiguous dealings in 2010 to, funnily enough, the U.S. State Department. At the time, the New York Times reported that "they [the U.S. State Department] had identified a number of problematic cases and were focusing on companies still active in Iran."

This isn’t Senator Kerry’s first time facing controversy over his investment enterprises. During his presidential bid in 2004, Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz were scrutinized for investing in companies that were known for outsourcing jobs - a rough road to hoe when you’re running for president.

No matter what your political leanings or ideologies, one must question the appropriateness of nominating John Kerry, especially when considering that the Secretary of State is fourth in the line of succession and arguably the most important member of an administration.

With his complicated record,I'm not so sure that someone like John Kerry is what America needs as Secretary of State.

So America, should John Kerry report for duty as Secretary of State or not?