Iran Envoy Robert Malley According to a new report from the State Department’s inspector general, he may have participated in “confidential conference calls” with the White House after his security clearance was suspended.
of the State Department The Office of Inspector General (OIG) did not question Malley and could not confirm that he was on the call, but his deputy informed a White House official that “Rob would be calling” and that Malley had “accessed the controlled office where the call would have taken place.”
At the time of the call, Malley’s clearance was on hold due to allegations of misconduct, but the envoy had not yet been informed of this. Malley – a controversial Washington figure who Republicans say is a friend of Iran – was accused of storing classified information on his personal email account and phone.
that material later accessed by a “hostile cyber actor”, That’s according to Senator James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. They revealed this information in May.
International Crisis Group Vice President for Policy Robert Malley speaks during the Forum Med Mediterranean Dialogues summit in Rome, Italy on November 30, 2017. (Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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The FBI is investigating whether Malley committed a crime by transferring classified information to his personal email.
The OIG found that the state “deviated” from the normal process for sanction suspensions by not informing Malley of the suspension until senior department officials had been informed.
Department officials also restored Malley’s access to sensitive but unclassified information after they had put a hold on his clearance because they were concerned he might use his personal email account for government business if he did not do so.
Senator Bill Hagerty, Tennessee, the top Republican on the State Department Management Subcommittee, accused the Biden administration of Collusion with Russia After the report.
“We are seeing increasing evidence of collusion with Iran.” Biden–Harris Administration “The incident occurs amid an ongoing investigation by the FBI into Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley for mishandling classified information and reports that Malley and other Biden-Harris Administration officials are part of the Iranian regime’s malign influence network,” Hagerty said.
Malley, a controversial Washington figure, walks with former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference on September 16, 2024 in Tehran, Iran
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According to one report, two people hired by the Iranian Foreign Ministry to improve the Iranian regime’s image in the US became Malley’s top aides. Semaphore Report.
“Today’s Inspector General’s report contains damning new revelations about cover-ups, politicization, and a systemic lack of accountability at the Biden-Harris Administration’s Department of State.”
The OIG found that “the lack of standard policies for political appointments and the lack of oversight of Special Envoy Malley led to considerable confusion about what actions Mr. Malley was authorized to perform following his suspension.”
According to the report, the department “also failed to consistently notify employees who regularly interacted with Mr. Malley that they were no longer permitted to access classified information.” It did not report the allegations against Malley to the OIG, despite being required by law to do so.
The Biden administration appointed Malley as special envoy to Iran in April 2021. He reported directly to Iran. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and was granted top secret security clearance.
On April 20, 2023, the director of the Department of Personnel Security and Suitability’s Office received a referral to suspend Malley’s clearance pending an investigation, and the director signed the referral the next day. However, Malley was not notified until the next day, April 22.
The department also issued an Information and Facility Access Restriction (IFAR) for Malley on April 22. A few days later, his access to facilities was restored and he was allowed to continue working on unclassified matters.
He continued to work till June 29, 2023, after which he was sent on leave without pay and asked to stop all departmental work. He was told that without approval he cannot perform the duties of the job.
Malley still holds the title of Special Envoy for Iran, even though his employment and clearance are suspended. He will remain in that position until he resigns or his clearance is officially revoked.
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“Instead of taking this seriously, the State Department and the White House have sought to suppress it and cover up Mr. Malley’s grave violation of our national security. These revelations are reprehensible, but not surprising,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul and the Senate’s top Republican on foreign relations, Jim Risch, said in a joint statement.
“Congress is unaware of how Mr. Malley’s violations impacted the administration’s disastrous approach to Iran, or how they affected the security of Americans.”
