Republicans in the House of Representatives have alleged that US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley may have had improper ties to the Iranian government.
Robert Malley, an outspoken Trump critic, has been fired from his position in the Biden administration. The FBI looks into him to determine if he improperly handled sensitive data.
On Thursday, Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul told FOX News that Malley’s security infractions were severe enough to warrant his indefinite suspension without pay and the revocation of his security credentials.
During the discussions to renew the Iran nuclear deal, Malley represented the Biden administration as their envoy to Iran. He was the principal architect and negotiator tasked to revive the Iran deal. But they couldn’t get him to appear before the committee to inform about Iran and answer questions that raised serious concerns.
Due to problems with his security clearance, he was placed on indefinite suspension without pay. It’s suspected he violated secret information and shared it with Iran, prompting a more comprehensive inquiry.
McCaul said it is unacceptable to House Republicans because it includes a $6 billion investment in Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, in exchange for a new JCPOA agreement.
The State Department put Robert Malley on indefinite unpaid vacation at the end of June, but they haven’t said why, which has Republicans in Congress concerned.
On Sunday, the English-language daily newspaper The Tehran Times, which has been linked to the foreign ministry of the theocracy, published a report. A memo from Erin Smart to Malley dated April 21 marked “sensitive but unclassified” was made public.
Erin Smart heads up the Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Office of Personnel Security and Suitability.
Smart wrote that the office has received information about the user that raises serious security concerns and might disqualify them under National Security Adjudicative Guidelines E, K, and M.
