WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and U.S. Representative Brian Mast (R-Fla.), last week sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concerns with allegations surrounding Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and an alleged Iranian regime-sponsored influence campaign in the United States.
“Communication from the State Department on the suspension of Mr. Malley’s security clearance has been woefully inadequate. The Department has failed to adequately respond to repeated formal requests for additional information,” wrote the lawmakers. “Further, we seek immediate clarity on whether, and the extent to which, Mr. Malley’s actions and the actions of his team have impacted or otherwise influenced U.S.-Iran policy, including reported proximity talks with the Iranian regime in Oman, or the conduct of the Department during negotiations for the United States to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.”
“Our concerns over the potential national security implications of Mr. Malley’s activities and those of his associates continue to grow. Recent press reports revealed that the Iranian regime initiated the ‘Iran Experts Initiative’ (IEI) in 2014 as part of an influence operation aimed at U.S. and European policymakers and expert communities,” continued the lawmakers. “Several of those allegedly involved in the IEI had direct, and in some cases continuing, communications with members of the Iranian regime. This includes at least three current or former associates of Mr. Malley.”
Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
We write to express our deep concerns with allegations surrounding Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and an alleged Iranian regime-sponsored influence campaign in the United States.
Communication from the State Department on the suspension of Mr. Malley’s security clearance has been woefully inadequate. The Department has failed to adequately respond to repeated formal requests for additional information. We continue to have significant concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the suspension of Mr. Malley’s clearance, and the degree to which Mr. Malley and the Department adhered to official guidelines and standards regarding access to classified information and suspensions of security clearances. Further, we seek immediate clarity on whether, and the extent to which, Mr. Malley’s actions and the actions of his team have impacted or otherwise influenced U.S.-Iran policy, including reported proximity talks with the Iranian regime in Oman, or the conduct of the Department during negotiations for the United States to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Our concerns over the potential national security implications of Mr. Malley’s activities and those of his associates continue to grow. Recent press reports revealed that the Iranian regime initiated the “Iran Experts Initiative” (IEI) in 2014 as part of an influence operation aimed at U.S. and European policymakers and expert communities. According to this same reporting, the regime tasked the IEI and its members to cultivate a network of organizations and individuals to help advance Tehran’s agenda.
Several of those allegedly involved in the IEI had direct, and in some cases continuing, communications with members of the Iranian regime. This includes at least three current or former associates of Mr. Malley. One associate, Ariane Tabatabai, was recruited to the State Department, where she served as a senior advisor supporting Mr. Malley’s negotiating team. She has since left the State Department and, we are troubled to note, she currently serves in the Department of Defense with access to special operations programs. The Department of Defense is now investigating whether all law and policy was followed in granting Ms. Tabatabai a security clearance.
The Intelligence Community has consistently identified Iranian malign influence operations as a major threat to U.S. national security interests. Like China and Russia, Iran pursues long-term malign influence campaigns through loosely-affiliated networks of individuals and organizations.
On its own, the discovery of the IEI would represent an important step in unraveling a broader Iranian malign influence network. However, the involvement of the IEI in influencing Mr. Malley’s confidants, when Mr. Malley himself is the subject of an ongoing security clearance investigation, raises serious questions about whether this Iranian influence operation succeeded in penetrating the U.S. government and influenced the policies of this administration. The State Department’s continued obstruction and ongoing refusal to provide the basic information that we have requested substantially increases these concerns, and effectively blocks congressional oversight over the State Department and U.S.-Iran policy.
Specifically, we request immediate answers to the following questions:
We hope you appreciate the seriousness of these concerns and we look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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