The State Department refused to provide answers Tuesday regarding a congressional probe into the conduct of the Biden administration’s Iran envoy Rob Malley after concerns were raised about his handling of classified information, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is conducting a probe into Malley after his security clearance was reportedly revoked due to potentially mishandling classified information while trying to restart talks regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the Iran nuclear deal, according to the Free Beacon. Biden’s State Department informed Republican Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas Tuesday that it had no intention of providing documents or testimony on the subject. (RELATED: US Navy Intervenes As Iranian Vessel Fires Shots In Attempt To Seize Tankers)
“The Department is not in a position to provide further documents or information related to this personnel-security clearance matter,” the State Department told McCaul, according to documents obtained by the Free Beacon.
The department further referred McCaul to the Foreign Affairs Manual, the State Department’s employee handbook regarding classified information, according to the Free Beacon. Malley called the response “absolutely unacceptable” especially regarding the seriousness of the potential charges.
Robert Malley, Biden administration special envoy for Iran, testifies about the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations on Capitol Hill on May 25, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Malley was fired from the Obama campaign in 2008 for organizing unauthorized communication with the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas, according to the Free Beacon. On July 29, Malley’s security clearance was reported to have been revoked and he was placed on leave, but the Biden administration has not given many details on the issue, according to Politico.
The incident prompted McCaul to send a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 30 to demand answers from the department regarding the circumstances surrounding Malley’s suspension, according to a press release. McCaul requested that the department turn over “any and all allegations, investigations, and/or findings of misconduct, including security violations, against Special Envoy Malley.”
“Congress deserves to know exactly why the U.S. Special Envoy to Iran had his security clearance suspended, was then suspended from his position, and now, according to news reports, is being investigated by the FBI,” McCaul said in a statement to the Free Beacon. “This is a person whose mission is to negotiate with the Islamic Republic of Iran—nothing could be more serious than this.”
The State Department and McCaul did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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