Report: Son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood allowed to leave Egypt

The IRI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Secretary LaHood has not commented much on the situation involving his son, who had been working in the IRI’s Egyptian office for about a year and half before he was prevented from leaving the country, other than saying the Obama administration and Congress were both working to resolve the standoff diplomatically.

Arizona Sen. John McCain and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, both Republicans, had sharply criticized the Egyptian government for refusing to allow the NGO workers to leave.

“It is worrying enough that Sam and his fellow NGO workers have been singled out by name in Egyptian state-owned media,” McCain said in a statement when it became known that Sam LaHood was among the group being prevented from leaving Egypt.

“It is outrageous that these individuals would be held against their will by Egyptian authorities and prohibited from leaving the country,” McCain continued.

Paul tried to offer legislation that would have cut off U.S. foreign aid to Egypt until they released the NGO workers.