Last year the Biden-Harris administration’s special envoy to Iran found himself suspended and put under FBI investigation for his alleged mishandling of classified documents in an explosive scandal the administration has done everything possible to defuse.
Robert Malley, a man who had served as the lead negotiator for the Obama-Biden administration’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal that filled the coffers of Iran’s mullocracy with tens of billions of dollars used to underwrite today’s terror, and legitimized and protected the regime’s nuclear program, had been laboring to resurrect the deal as a top executor of the White House’s Iran First policy.
To boot, Malley, an arguable apologist for Hamas and Hezbollah, had developed substantial links to an apparent Iranian influence network during the Trump years – leading an NGO some congressional Republicans believe may have violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act in connection with its Iran work – and bringing one alleged member of that effort into his office at State.
She has matriculated to a highly sensitive position at the Pentagon where she still works today.
Later, we would learn that Malley may have transferred classified documents to his personal email account and downloaded them on his personal cell phone – and that this information was hacked or otherwise obtained by adversaries.
Lawmakers are concerned that the compromise of Malley’s communications devices may have led to contagion, leaving other senior government officials, sensitive information, and ultimately America’s national security at risk.
The Biden administration has withheld the truth about l’affaire Malley from the American people – refusing to answer questions about what transpired.
Now we’ve learned the State Department too engaged in scandalous conduct around l’affaire Malley. But it may well be part of the cover-up.
The revelations come in the form of a report from the State Department’s inspector general.
It details that contrary to standard operating procedures, officials delayed notifying Malley of his suspension to tip off senior officials and to spare him the embarrassment of essentially being perp-walked by delivering notification of his suspension personally at headquarters – a delay that seemingly enabled Malley to partake in a secure call with White House officials after his top secret security clearance had been suspended but before he was notified.
The report also shows that the State Department, after initially restricting Malley’s access to its classified and unclassified systems, just days later reinstated his access to its sensitive but unclassified OpenNet information network.
State officials were concerned that otherwise Malley might continue to perform work on a personal email account – which seems to be in part why he was suspended in the first place!
“[R]estoraton of his access to SBU [sensitive but unclassified information]” the IG reported, “could have placed the security of this information at risk.”
Meanwhile, Malley was allowed to continue doing some of his duties as special envoy – he worked approximately 10 weeks before being placed on leave without pay and directed to cease State Department business.
The report shows there was no one really directly overseeing Malley and determining what he could work on let alone monitoring it. Malley was ultimately answerable to Secretary of State Tony Blinken and the White House.
Blinken recused himself supposedly from the situation after Malley was suspended – insulating himself from the scandal surrounding, in Malley, a boyhood friend dating back to their time as classmates overseas.
“While Mr. Malley had little oversight prior to the suspension of his clearance,” the report indicates, “the degree of supervision actually decreased following the suspension, which significantly increased the risk that he could participate in discussions inappropriate for someone lacking a security clearance.”
Malley continued communicating with White House officials and “was kept apprised about secure telephone calls and meetings” with CIA, ODNI, the Pentagon, and the Justice and Treasury Departments.
He was intimately involved in helping craft talking points and counseling on congressional testimony.
The State Department did not make it clear to its employees what had transpired, and what work Malley was to be excluded from.
Nor did State report the allegations to the OIG, in violation of law.
Malley remains Special Envoy to Iran to this date, and has not had his security clearance revoked, only suspended.
As outrageous as this report is, still, still, one wonders if the focus on the State Department’s failures with respect to the handling of Robert Malley are meant to serve as a head-fake for Malley’s alleged crimes.
I maintain what I’ve always maintained: Rob Malley is a “made man” in the foreign policy apparatus that Barack Obama created.
The Biden-Harris administration wants to shield Malley’s alleged misconduct because it provides a window into a broader, treacherous Iran First policy that the American people would totally reject were it openly and honestly reported upon – a policy that has lead to the deaths of Americans and our allies and partners at the hands of a mortal enemy our leaders have aided, abetted, and enabled.
Throwing State under the bus is a small price to pay to hide the bigger picture.
In a joint statement, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee James Risch, and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Mike McCaul noted that the IG report “is disturbing and sheds light on the multiple ways the State Department grossly mismanaged Rob Malley’s case and intentionally misled Congress.”
However, they add, “Congress remains in the dark on how Mr. Malley’s infractions impacted the conduct of the administration’s disastrous approach to Iran, or affected the safety of Americans.”
Therein lies the rub.
