Republican lawmakers have brought forth disturbing accusations against Robert Malley, Biden’s embattled special envoy to Iran. Malley is alleged to have stored classified material on a personal email account and cellphone, which were subsequently accessed by a “hostile cyber actor.”
The leading Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees penned a letter to the State Department on Monday, seeking confirmation of their discoveries regarding Malley. He was placed on unpaid leave in June and had his security clearance revoked as part of a State Department inquiry into allegations of mishandling classified documents.
The letter, acquired by Fox News, was directed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and outlined several allegations against Malley. These accusations emerged from an inquiry initiated by Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member James Risch (R-Idaho) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
The GOP lawmakers also requested additional details from Blinken regarding the specific rationale behind Malley's suspension, as well as clarification on the classification levels of the documents stored on his personal devices and accounts that were reportedly compromised.
The lawmakers asked Blinken, among the many questions, whether classified material was sent by Malley to individuals lacking security clearances and whether the alleged cyber actor was in any way connected with the Iranian military, intelligence services, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The lawmakers also sought details on how Malley's personal email and/or cellphone were compromised, along with inquiries about the Biden administration's intentions regarding Malley's potential return to the State Department.
