The Inspector General of the US State Department has Blistering Report documented how likely influential Iranian agent Robert Malley was allowed access to top secret information and meetings even after the Biden-Harris regime subsequently revoked his security clearance for misusing classified information. Unlike former President Trump, Malley was never prosecuted for his misuse of classified information, despite being closely associated with an Iran-sponsored group called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), a network of influential academics and researchers around the world who would advocate for Tehran on several key issues – see High-ranking Iranian spy ring busted in Washington.
U.S. State Department officials failed to follow standard procedures when suspending Iran special envoy Rob Malley’s security clearance, leading to “significant confusion” about what work he was allowed to do, the department’s inspector general concluded after a months-long investigation.
In some cases, the confusion “likely led” Malley to address issues “that were outside the limited scope of his authority,” according to the report, which was obtained by POLITICO.
The words “deviated” and “confusion” play a prominent role in the reporting because the White House lied to Congress about Malley’s status.
Malley’s whereabouts first raised questions when he missed a classified congressional briefing on Iran in May 2023. At the time, State Department officials told lawmakers that Malley was on “extended personal leave” and suggested his absence might be related to a family health issue.
BACKGROUND: State Department questioned on fresh Biden scandal: Rob Malley, Iran, secret documents, even the question of ‘treason’ raised – RedState
The State Department not only lied, have not taken any action To restrict Malley’s access to top secret information and meetings. On the contrary, the State Department’s top leadership concealed Malley’s lack of security clearance so that it could not be enforced.
Information about Malley’s situation was withheld from senior State Department officials, including his own deputy, according to some at the meeting. The inspector general also found that Malley continued to perform his official duties even after his security clearance was revoked, another violation of State Department protocol.
The briefing and accompanying report provide a sporadic glimpse into Malley’s suspension and the circumstances surrounding it. The Iran envoy’s security clearance was originally scheduled to be revoked in slow April 2023, but the State Department kept it secret from the public for more than two months. That process “deviated” from department policy, the inspector general noted.
“The Department deviated from standard suspension procedures by not notifying Mr. Malley until senior Department officials were aware of his suspension,” a copy of the report said. “The delay gave him the opportunity to participate in a classified conference call after the suspension was approved but before he was notified.”
It is not clear what exactly led to the suspension of Malley’s clearance, as the State Department refused to explain it to the Congress. It is clear that the Iranian media best source about his suspension.
On Sunday, Iran’s state-run news agency Tehran Times wrote: published an apparently highly sensitive document from the Foreign MinistryIn an April 21 letter to Malley, the director of the department’s Diplomatic Security Office, Erin E. Smart, informed the diplomat that he could not be trusted, at least for now, to handle classified U.S. government documents and intelligence information.
Her office had “received information about you that raises serious security concerns and may result in disqualification” under a number of U.S. government policies, Smart wrote, according to the released copy of the letter. She added: “Your national security suitability, including your Top Secret clearance, is suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.”
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Capitol Hill aides have also raised concerns about the Iranian government’s access to State Department communications and deliberations. The Tehran Times article is just the latest in a series of revelations the outlet has published about the Malley affair, including U.S. government documents, audio recordings of the diplomat, and dates and reasons for his departure. So far, most of these have proven to be precise.
BACKGROUND:
Republicans in Congress find evidence that Biden’s Iran envoy downloaded and shared secret documents
Congress is finally investigating Iran envoy Rob Malley, whose closest advisers are linked to Tehran
State Department questioned on fresh Biden scandal: Rob Malley, Iran, secret documents, even the question of “treason” is raised
Biden administration has another problem with classified documents – this time related to “lack of candor” and Iran
Malley has long had problematic ties to the Iranian regime that call into question his suitability for federal office outside of a federal prison (see “In Vienna, the Biden administration is giving away the shop to Iran, and Russia is helping”).
As mentioned, Malley was the head of an Iranian intelligence operation to influence U.S. policy toward Iran. When he joined the Biden-Harris regime, he brought with him acolytes who held influential positions in the defense and foreign policy apparatus. One of them, Ariane Tabatabai, became chief of staff to Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, the Defense Department’s top counterterrorism official.
.BACKGROUND:
Why is suspected Iranian agent Ariane Tabatabai still working at the Pentagon?
What role did the Iranian spy ring in the US government play in the “intelligence mistake” with Hamas?
Tabatabai appears to be protected by Kamala Harris; see “Defense official with frequent White House visits and known ties to Iran has a connection to Kamala Harris.”
Its patron is none other than Phil GordonKamala Harris’ national security advisor.
Tabatabai’s access to the White House is leading to renewed scrutiny in the wake of an investigation by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., NY) into their relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris’s national security adviser, Phil Gordon. Tabatabai and Gordon co-authored at least three opinion pieces opposing sanctions against the Iranian regime.
Gordon is tied together with the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). The group is so closely linked to Iran that it is often referred to as Tehran’s lobbying arm in Washington. In 2012, the NIAC sued a journalist for calling it an agent of the Tehran regime, and the judge threw the case because there was no evidence that the journalist was wrong.
The long-term protection and coddling of Malley, a man who can be described without malice or exaggeration as a diehard Iran sympathizer, shows the extent to which hostile foreign powers are penetrating the Biden-Harris gang. The “investigation” of Malley for improper handling of classified information is both a textbook example and a warning. It is a textbook example in that the Justice Department is seeking political protection for former President Donald Trump on this point while the documents in question were kept in a Secret Service-guarded location, but is unwilling to prosecute anyone close to Kamala Harris who appears to have passed classified information to Iran. It is a warning because if Harris is elected, Malley’s investigation will be dropped and he will end up in a high position in the State Department or the National Security Council.
