Republican lawmakers are demanding an investigation after an Iranian state-run news outlet published a confidential State Department memo detailing “security concerns” that got U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s security clearance suspended. The memo, published by the Tehran Times on Sunday, was dated April 21 and sent to Malley from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Office. It noted that Malley was under investigation over his “personal conduct,” “handling of protected information,” and “use of information technology.” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) said in a statement Monday that the State Department “needs to do a top to bottom security review, because I am concerned they have a leak.” He questioned why “the Iranian regime’s mouthpiece has appeared to have sensitive U.S. government information recently while Congress is kept in the dark.” Malley announced in late June that he’d been suspended and had his security clearance revoked, though the timing of the letter now has some lawmakers wondering if he was allowed to continue working even after the suspension. Details on the investigation are murky, but the FBI is reportedly involved in the probe.
