Top congressional Republicans have shared their concerns about the suspension of the Biden administration’s special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, they requested confirmation of the reasons behind Malley’s suspension.
Last year, Malley faced controversy when lawmakers criticized the administration for being vague about his absence. It was later revealed that he had been suspended and was under investigation by the FBI for unspecified reasons. This week, leading Republicans in foreign affairs claimed that Malley improperly stored classified information on his personal phone, which was then stolen by a hacker.
The letter from House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul and Senate Foreign Affairs ranking member Jim Risch detailed the allegations against Malley, including transferring classified documents to his personal email account and downloading them to his personal cell phone. The congressmen expressed their concerns about the national security implications of these actions and demanded immediate answers.
The letter also raised questions about whether the alleged hackers were linked to Iran, but did not disclose how the information was obtained. The Truth Voices reached out to the State Department for comment on the matter.
Malley, known for his role in the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal, was suspended in April 2023. This revelation sheds light on the previously undisclosed reasons behind Malley’s suspension and the ongoing investigation into his actions.
