U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have issued a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken concerning the State Department’s lack of transparency regarding the suspension of Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s security clearance.
“The Department’s failure to cooperate with our repeated inquiries dating back to June 2023 into the suspension of Mr. Robert Malley’s security clearance is deeply troubling,” wrote Risch and McCaul. “Mr. Malley’s alleged misconduct is serious, and the Department’s lack of transparency and blatant disregard for the urgency of our requests is unacceptable.”
The letter details previous attempts by the committees to obtain information about Malley’s security clearance status, including a May 6, 2024 request for immediate answers that has reportedly gone unanswered. The members expressed frustration over receiving more information from media sources than from official channels.
“We have been made aware that there may be a classified response to our letter but have yet to receive it,” they noted in their correspondence. “This vague assurance, however, failed to include any information on when we could expect your reply or whether it would address all of our questions.”
The letter also highlighted concerns about Secretary Blinken’s personal relationship with Malley and how this might affect his handling of the case.
Risch and McCaul have set a deadline for a comprehensive response by August 2, 2024. They warned that failure to meet this deadline would result in compulsory measures to obtain necessary documents and testimony from key State Department personnel.
Sincerely,
Jim Risch
Michael McCaul
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