(CNN) Days after lawmakers called for one of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's top staffers to be disciplined for allegedly refusing to comply with a State Department investigation into claims of political vetting and retaliation, CNN has obtained emails that appear to shed more light on an alleged attempt to remove a career employee from her role.

The emails, which include members of Tillerson's inner circle, are being examined as part of the ongoing State Department Inspector General's investigation into alleged vetting and retaliation against career diplomats by Trump political appointees.

Tillerson's deputy chief of staff -- Christine Ciccone, who now works in legislative affairs at the Department of Homeland Security -- is seen in the messages forwarding an article from the Conservative Review containing misinformation about a career State Department official to a White House liaison and Matthew Mowers, a senior White House adviser now at State.

She wrote, "know you are looking into this-- wanted to make sure you saw this article."

And of the official being scrutinized by the new administration, an Iran expert who had worked in government since the George W. Bush administration, Ciccone asked, "Is this person one of the four who refused to shake [Tillerson's] hand the first day he started?"

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