The Harris-Biden administration's special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, may have participated in a “classified White House-organized” conference call after his top secret security clearance was frozen amid allegations of misconduct, according to the State Department's internal audit agency.
The State Department's Office of Inspector General concluded Wednesday that department officials' discipline of Malley for improperly handling classified information, allowing him to access classified information for weeks after his suspension and failing to report his suspension to the Inspector General's Office as required by law “departed from normal suspension procedures.”
According to the OIG report obtained by The Washington Post, State Department officials chose to delay notifying Malley of his suspension for a full day “until it was briefed to senior State Department officials,” allowing him the opportunity to participate in a classified conference call with the White House.
“The delayed notice provided Special Envoy Malley the opportunity to participate in a secure conference call with White House officials on Friday, April 21. [2023]”This occurred after his entry permit had been suspended but before he was notified,” the report said.
The OIG did not interview Malley and could not confirm whether he actually participated in the conference call, but it found that his aide notified White House staff that “Rob would be on the conference call” and that Malley “had access to a controlled office where the conference call was scheduled to take place.”
On April 22, 2023, the State Department notified Murray that his security clearance had been terminated, barring him from accessing the department's “classified but unclassified information.” [SBU] “Information Systems”
But days later, following pressure from senior officials, Malley's access to classified information was restored, as was his access to his State Department email account.
State Department officials told OIG investigators they considered restoring Malley's access “low risk” and were concerned that if the request was denied, she “may use her personal email to conduct official business.”
The OIG report noted that access to SBU information “is typically restricted to officials whose privileges are suspended in circumstances similar to those of Special Envoy Malley,” and said concerns that Special Envoy Malley might use her personal email if her agency email access was not restored were of “questionable justification” given that it would violate agency policy.
The report concluded that a “lack of oversight” by Malley caused “significant confusion” at the State Department during his suspension.
“The lack of oversight of Special Envoy Malley led to significant confusion regarding what work he was authorized to do following his suspension,” the report said. “The State Department did not consistently inform employees who had regular contact with Malley that he no longer had access to classified information. This situation likely resulted in Special Envoy Malley being involved in the limited range of issues he was authorized to address.”
Investigators' investigation found that the Department violated federal law by failing to report Murray's suspension to the OIG.
The Department of State Authorities Act requires the Department to report suspected criminal conduct or serious misconduct by senior employees to the OIG within five business days.
“OIG found that senior State Department officials failed to report the suspension of Special Envoy Malley's security clearance to OIG, as required by the Authorities Act,” the report states. [Diplomatic Security] Despite learning of the allegations against Special Envoy Malley, they still did not report the matter to the OIG.”
Murray's document security privileges were suspended following allegations that he stored classified documents in his personal email account and mobile phone.
The materials were later accessed by a “hostile cyber attacker,” Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), revealed in May.
Murray was quietly placed on unpaid administrative leave in June last year pending the investigation.
The report, to be released on Thursday, said the envoy “remained in his position for approximately 10 weeks before being placed on unpaid leave and instructed to cease working for the State Department.”
The Washington Post has reached out to the State Department for comment.
In a joint statement, Risch and McCaul said the report was “alarming” and “reveals multiple ways in which the State Department grossly mismanaged Rob Malley's case and intentionally misled Congress.”
“Robert Malley was a political appointee to the Secretary of State, but was treated very differently from a civil servant or diplomat,” the lawmakers said.
They argued that the State Department's concerns that Malley may have been using a private email account to conduct government business were “legitimate” because “that was one of the primary actions that led to the suspension of his security clearance in the first place.”
“Instead of taking this matter seriously, the State Department and the White House have attempted to cover up the matter and hide Malley's egregious violations of national security,” Risch and McCaul said. “These revelations are highly reprehensible, but not surprising.”
He added that “Congress remains unaware of how Malley's violations may have affected the Administration's destructive approach toward Iran or the security of Americans.”
