Two high-profile Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken explaining what they discovered: “disturbing accusations” that Robert Malley, President Joe Biden’s special envoy to Iran, put classified material on his personal email and phone that were the target of a “hostile” hack by an agent.
According to a newspaper report by The Washington Post, top Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on the State Department to confirm the accusations against Malley, who was suspended from duty last year in June.
At the time, amid a State Department investigation reportedly focused on the Biden Administration’s top diplomat for Iran’s possible mishandling of classified information, Malley was quietly placed on unpaid leave while his security clearance was suspended.
However, the State Department has not revealed exactly why Malley was suspended so far, prompting Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) to launch an independent investigation.
“Due to the Department’s evasiveness and lack of transparency, we have worked to glean information from other sources,” Risch and McCaul wrote in the letter sent to Blinken that was obtained by WaPo. “Our own investigations have uncovered the following information and troubling allegations. We ask that you confirm the information we have learned.”
“Specifically, we understand that Mr. Malley’s security clearance was suspended because he allegedly transferred classified documents to his personal email account and downloaded these documents to his personal cell phone,” said the Republican legislators, who proceeded to request critical information from Blinken.
Specifically, lawmakers asked Blinken to reveal how much classified information Malley allegedly stored in his email and phone and also asked whether the State Department knew whether the diplomat tried to send the classified material to someone without a security clearance.
Lawmakers also asked whether Iran was responsible for the alleged hack against Malley.
“The allegations we have been privy to are extremely troubling and demand immediate answers,” the Republicans wrote. “These allegations have substantial impact on our national security and people should be held accountable swiftly and strongly.”
