President Biden’s special Iran envoy had his security clearance suspended earlier this year after “serious” issues were raised internally about his handling of “protected material,” according to a leaked State Department memo published over the weekend by an Iranian media outlet.
Robert Malley was placed on unpaid leave effective at the end of June, but the State Department declined to specify why, drawing scrutiny from congressional Republicans.
The Tehran Times, an English-language daily newspaper believed to have close ties to the theocracy’s foreign ministry, purported to shed light on the matter Sunday by publishing an April 21 memo labeled “sensitive but unclassified” and addressed to Malley from Erin Smart, director of the Office of Personnel Security and Suitability in the Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
In the memo, Smart wrote that the office “has received information regarding you that raises serious security concerns and can be disqualifying under National Security Adjudicative Guidelines E (Personal Conduct), K (Handling Protected Information) and M (Use of Information Technology).”
The memo did not divulge Malley’s specific conduct and underscored his clearance was only being suspended, not revoked.
The Post has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the memo.
“We are aware of these reports,” a State Department spokesperson told The Post Monday evening. “The Department does not comment on internal matters. Rob Malley remains on leave. We have nothing further to share at this time due to privacy considerations.”
However, Gabriel Noronha, a former State Department adviser on Iran, tweeted Sunday evening that the published document “looks authentic to me [and] [i]ndicates Malley also lied about not knowing why his clearance was pulled. “
“The Tehran Times knows more about Rob Malley than the New York Times,” added Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “This is insane.”
Malley has previously been accused by Republicans of being overly cozy with certain factions in Tehran.
Earlier this year, when Malley publicly confirmed the ongoing probe of his security clearance, he insisted State Department officials did not provide him with any more information.
“I have been informed that my security clearance is under review,” he said at the time. “I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave.”
Earlier this month, Malley landed a gig at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) as a visiting professor and lecturer.
Malley helped spearhead US negotiations with Iran and previously served as a top negotiator of the controversial 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
That deal gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for temporary restrictions on its nuclear program. Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic
Biden has sought to revive portions of that agreement while also negotiating a potential prisoner swap with Iran.
“If this memo is authentic, it is extremely concerning especially since this is not the first time the Iranian regime’s mouthpiece has appeared to have sensitive US government information recently while Congress is kept in the dark,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Post in a statement.
McCaul implored the State Department to conduct a “top to bottom security review because I am concerned they have a leak.”
“I have requested transparency from the State Department on the ongoing Robert Malley saga and will continue to demand answers,” he added. “Regarding this latest chapter, I am very concerned about how the regime got this potentially authentic document and what other sensitive or classified information they may have.”
