State Department mishandled Rob Malley’s security clearance, report reveals

US special envoy for Iran remains on unpaid leave

Robert Malley was appointed to the role of US special envoy for Iran in 2021. AFP

An internal report has found that the State Department did not follow proper procedure in its handling of US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s security clearance suspension after he was placed on leave.

According to the report, first obtained by Politico and AP, State Department officials “deviated” from normal practices, allowing Mr Malley to have access to classified information.

The Office of the Inspector General “also found that the lack of standard policies for political appointees and the lack of supervision of special envoy Malley led to significant confusion as to what work Mr Malley was authorised to do following the suspension,” the report said, according to AP.

“The inspector general found that State Department officials largely followed standard procedures in the case of the special envoy for Iran," a representative for the department said.

"The inspector general also made five recommendations in this case. The Department agrees with all five and will begin taking steps to implement them into our standard processes, to the extent we haven’t already done so.”

Mr Malley, who led negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the Iran nuclear deal – signed by the Obama administration in 2015, had his security clearance suspended in the spring of 2023 over allegations that he may have mishandled classified information.

Republican politicians have demanded more information on Mr Malley's suspension, with some claiming he sent classified documents to his personal email account or downloaded them on to his personal phone.

In late July, Jim Risch of the Senate foreign relations committee and Mike McCaul, chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling the State Department's “failure to co-operate” with inquiries into Mr Malley's alleged misconduct “deeply troubling”.

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into Mr Malley’s alleged handling of classified documents. Mr Malley has denied any wrongdoing.

The special envoy was appointed to the role in 2021 and has had a long career in Washington. Before his current post, he was president and chief executive of the International Crisis Group.

He was also a special assistant to then-president Barack Obama, and the White House co-ordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf from 2015 to 2016.