The State Department‘s Inspector General is reportedly investigating the circumstances of the suspension of President Joe Biden‘s special envoy for Iran last year.
The State Department’s inspector general told lawmakers it has opened an investigation into the department’s decision to place Robert Malley on leave in June 2023, according to a report from Semafor.
In a letter sent last month, Ryan Holden, the Inspector General’s director of congressional and public affairs, told members of Congress it is examining the matter, including the suspension of Malley’s security clearance in April 2023.
“The scope of the special review of the suspension of Robert Malley’s clearance will include the procedures the Department used in suspending the clearance as well as actions taken by the Department following the suspension,” the letter said, per the outlet. “This will include whether the Department followed proper procedures in suspending his clearance, determining what access to information he could maintain, and deciding the status of his employment.”
The outlet reports that the inspector general’s office will make its findings public in a report, and that State Department emails and documents will be examined as part of the investigation.
State Department officials have been silent on the reason behind Malley’s ongoing unpaid leave, with the Deputy Special Envoy to Iran Abram Paley not revealing details on the absence when testifying before Congress in December.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigations is reportedly investigating Malley for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Malley was one of the lead figures in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 under then-President Barack Obama’s administration.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Office of the Inspector General for the State Department for comment.
