Peas in a Pod: Biden’s Iran Negotiator Suspended Over Mishandling of Classified Docs

Federal investigators launched a probe into Joe Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents in January after discovering several tranches of classified records at a Washington, DC-based think tank and the president’s Delaware home.

Robert Malley, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Iran, has been stripped of his security clearance and placed on unpaid leave while the State Department probes his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

“I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave,” Malley said.

The diplomat, appointed to his post in January 2021 as the Biden administration began an attempt to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Iran nuclear deal, has been replaced by Abram Paley, his deputy, who will serve in the role on an acting basis.

Officials have not provided any additional details about the probe, what documents Malley is accused of mishandling, or whether any third parties were involved.

Malley’s team has played a central role in talks to restore the JCPOA. Earlier this month, amid stalled negotiations, media reported that Malley’s team was negotiating an informal “cooling-down understanding” with Tehran amid dashed hopes for a formal agreement, with the informal deal reportedly involving Iran curtailing its nuclear enrichment activities in exchange for the return of some Iranian funds frozen abroad in foreign banks.

But the diplomat has also demonstrated his preparedness to serve as the "stick" if the eased sanctions "carrot" doesn’t work as intended. Earlier this year, while Iran’s mini-flotilla was sailing through "America’s backyard" in Latin America during its round-the-world journey, Malley threatened to slap secondary restrictions on “any person or entity conducting transactions that involve these ships.”

The probe into Malley comes against the backdrop of a federal investigation into his boss, Joe Biden, who is accused of stashing classified documents across multiple locations, including the garage of his Delaware home, dating back to his days as Barack Obama’s vice president.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner looking to challenge Biden in the 2024 election, is facing his own classified documents-related drama, and has been indicted on 37 federal charges for allegedly illegally stashing records at his Florida Estate. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his authority as president endowed him with the power to declassify any secret document “just by thinking about it.” Federal prosecutors apparently don’t think so. Biden’s authority as vice president similarly did not endow him with the power to declassify documents at will.