Sen. Scott Statement on State Department Mishandling Iran Envoy’s Clearance

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to the revelations that the Biden-Harris administration mismanaged the security clearance of former U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley:

“This report proves what we already knew—that the Biden-Harris State Department grossly mismanaged the suspension of Mr. Malley’s security clearance. The fact that his clearance was suspended, and he was still able to participate in even one classified conversation on one of our greatest adversaries is an unbelievable breach in security. This report raises more questions than answers. Congress and the American people still deserve to know why Mr. Malley’s clearance was suspended in the first place and why the administration refused to promptly notify the appropriate parties.”

Last year, Senator Scott partnered with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) to introduce legislation requiring the Secretary of State to notify Congress when the security clearances of senior members of the Department of State are suspended or revoked. Similar language was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. The bill’s intent is to prevent another security lapse like the one that occurred with the most-recent U.S. Special Envoy for Iran.

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