The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding that the State Department produce more information about the suspension of the U.S. special envoy for Iran’s security clearance.
Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, said Friday the Biden administration owed Congress a full explanation for the suspension of envoy Rob Malley’s clearance and his being placed on unpaid leave.
Malley had led administration efforts to revive the faltering Iran nuclear deal. But he has not been active in his main job for weeks and until Thursday the State Department had told journalists and lawmakers that he was on extended personal leave for unspecified family reasons.
On Thursday, however, department officials said Malley was the subject of an investigation into the mishandling of classified information and had been placed on unpaid leave.
“These reports raise serious concerns both regarding Malley’s conduct and whether the State Department misled Congress and the American public,” McCaul said in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Related Story: State Dept Does Not Deny Envoy’s Secret Meetings with Iran to Revive Nuke Deal
