State Dept removes page of US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley from website

US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley, who is being investigated by the FBI and has had his security clearance revoked, no longer has a biography page on the State Department’s website. Meanwhile, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) threatened further legal measures against State Department officials if they did not voluntarily provide information on Malley’s suspension.

Malley is currently on leave, according to the official line out of the State Department. “We have nothing further to share at this time due to privacy considerations,” a State Department spokesperson said when asked for updates on the investigation.

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“Deputy Special Envoy for Iran Abram Paley and the rest of the Special Envoy team continue the vital work of developing and implementing our day-to-day Iran policy,” the spokesperson told Al Arabiya English.

The spokesperson added that Paley currently leads the team as Deputy Special Envoy.

Media reports suggest Malley is under investigation for mishandling classified information. He told multiple media outlets that he had his security clearance withdrawn but was confident that the probe would prove his innocence.

Malley’s photo has also been replaced with one of Paley on the Twitter page of the Office of the Special Envoy for Iran.

Officials told Al Arabiya English that they were informed Malley was on leave for family-related reasons and expressed their surprise when news broke last month that Malley was placed on leave without pay.

Senior State Department officials also told the HFAC that Malley was unable to testify or brief because he was on personal leave due to the illness of a close family member, according to the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “At no point did the Department indicate that Special Envoy Malley’s security clearance was suspended or under review, or that he was being investigated for potential misconduct,” Congressman Michael McCaul previously said.

McCaul requested information about the investigation last week, and the State Department responded this week, but the top Republican lawmaker said it was an “absolutely unacceptable response.”

On Friday, McCaul sent another letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting a classified briefing on the circumstances surrounding Malley’s security clearance suspension.

McCaul threatened to request testimony and compel the appearance of the requested witnesses if they refused to appear voluntarily.

“It is alarming that the Department chooses to withhold even the most basic of details from Congress, such as the timeline of Special Envoy Malley’s leave, clearance status, accesses, and foreign contacts,” McCaul told Blinken in his letter.

Read more: Congress demands answers to reported suspension of US envoy for Iran