The watchdog found that Iran envoy Malley may have been on a 'classified White House call' after his clearance was suspended.

The State Department inspector general's report suggests that Iran envoy Robert Malley may have participated in a "classified conference call" with the White House following the suspension of his security clearance.

The OIG was unable to verify if Malley was on the call, but his deputy informed a White House official that he would participate and had access to the controlled office where the call took place.

Malley's clearance had been paused due to misconduct allegations, but he had not yet been notified. Malley, a contentious figure in Washington, was accused of storing classified information on his personal email and phone.

In May, Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, disclosed that the material was later accessed by a "hostile cyber actor."

The FBI is probing whether Malley breached any laws while transferring classified data to his personal email.

The OIG discovered that the State had deviated from the standard clearance suspension procedure by not informing Malley until senior department officials were informed.

Officials from the department reinstated Malley's access to confidential information, which had been temporarily suspended due to concerns that he might use his personal email account for government work.

The top Republican on the subcommittee on State Department Management, Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tenn., accused the Biden administration of colluding with Russia following the release of the report.

Hagerty stated that there is mounting evidence of Iran collusion by members of the Biden-Harris administration, as reported by the FBI's ongoing investigation into Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley's handling of classified information and news reports indicating that Malley and other administration officials were part of the Iranian regime's malign influence network known as the 'Iran Experts Initiative'.

According to a Semafor report, two individuals who were appointed by the Iranian Foreign Ministry to enhance the regime's image in the U.S. became top advisors to Malley.

"The Biden-Harris Administration's State Department is facing criticism over a cover-up, politicization, and systemic lack of accountability, according to a new report by the Inspector General."

The lack of standard policies for political appointees and the absence of supervision of Special Envoy Malley resulted in confusion regarding his authorized work after the suspension.

The department failed to consistently notify employees who regularly interacted with Mr. Malley that he was no longer allowed to access classified information, and did not report the allegations against Malley to OIG as required by law.

In April 2021, the Biden administration appointed Malley as special envoy to Iran. He reported directly to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and was granted a top secret security clearance.

On April 22, 2023, Malley was notified that the Director of the Department’s Office of Personnel Security and Suitability had received a referral to suspend his clearance pending an investigation, which the director had signed off on the previous day.

On April 22, Malley was issued an information and facility access restriction (IFAR) by the department. However, his access to facilities was later restored, and he was permitted to work on unclassified matters.

He worked until June 29, 2023, when he was put on leave without pay and instructed to stop working in the department. He was informed that he could not perform his job duties without clearance.

Malley remains the special envoy to Iran, although his employment and clearance are still suspended. He will retain the title until he resigns or his clearance is officially revoked.

The State Department and the White House have attempted to conceal Mr. Malley's violations of national security by downplaying their significance, according to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul and Senate Foreign Relations top Republican Jim Risch in a joint statement. These revelations are highly damning, yet not unexpected.

"The administration's disastrous approach to Iran was not affected by Mr. Malley's infractions, and Congress remains unaware of how his actions impacted the safety of Americans."