U.S. State Department Inspector General: Suspension of Robert Malley's Security Clearance Was Unjustified

The Associated Press and Politico report that the U.S. State Department's Inspector General has concluded after several months of investigation that officials in the department did not follow standard procedures in suspending the security clearance of Robert Malley, the former U.S. special envoy for Iran, resulting in significant confusion regarding the scope of his work. The Inspector General's report, a copy of which was provided to the two media outlets and published on Wednesday, September 19, states that in some cases, State Department officials deviated from standard procedures, leading to Malley's involvement in matters outside the designated scope of his administrative duties. A spokesperson for the State Department declined to comment on the investigation's findings. Malley's security clearance was revoked over a year ago without a clear explanation, and since then, he has been on unpaid, indefinite leave. After the Biden administration took office, Malley was appointed in 2021 as the U.S. special envoy for Iran, tasked with reviving the Iran nuclear deal known as the JCPOA, from which the Trump administration withdrew. The FBI is reportedly investigating Malley's case. CBS News reported last July, citing three informed sources, that the FBI is looking into Malley's case. Malley has denied any wrongdoing. In May of this year, two Republican members of the U.S. Congress stated that they believe Malley's security clearance was suspended because he sent classified documents to his personal email account and then downloaded them onto his personal phone. Informed sources have told Politico that one focus of the FBI's investigation is the potential sending of confidential government documents to Malley's personal email, which could lead to sensitive documents falling into foreign hands. Republican members of the U.S. Congress have called on the FBI to provide the results of its investigation to Congress. One issue that Republicans are scrutinizing is how the State Department handled the suspension of Malley's security clearance. They have pointed out why the State Department did not place Malley on full-time leave immediately after his security clearance was revoked in April of last year. Previously, some news sites reported on the alleged connections of individuals close to Malley with the 'Iran Experts Initiative,' which they claim is a network associated with the Islamic Republic. The news website Semafor and the Iran International television network reported separately on October 4 of last year that this connection was established during the negotiations for the nuclear deal during Hassan Rouhani's presidency. Following the publication of this report, a group of Republican representatives in Congress demanded accountability from the Biden administration.