US lawmakers threaten subpoena over Malley, question Iranian influence

Amid growing concerns over transparency and foreign influence, US lawmakers are intensifying their scrutiny of the Biden administration's handling of Iran-related affairs.

On Tuesday top lawmakers overseeing US foreign policy threatened to subpoena the State Department following the agency’s failure to provide information about suspended Iran envoy Robert Malley. Meanwhile, on Wednesday other US lawmakers raised concerns about potential Iranian influence within the Biden administration, specifically questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s national security advisor, Philip Gordon.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed deep frustration with the State Department's lack of transparency regarding the suspension of Robert Malley's security clearance. They condemned the Department's failure to respond to repeated inquiries since June 2023 as "deeply troubling" and unacceptable.

The lawmakers demanded the Department "provide fulsome answers" to their queries by no later than close of business on August 2, 2024. They warned that should the Department miss this deadline, they would be "compelled to pursue compulsory processes to secure any documents, materials, and testimony" relevant to their investigation from members of the State Department.

Risch and McCaul emphasized that they sent a letter on May 6, 2024, requesting immediate answers but have since received more information from the press than from official channels. They stated, "We have been made aware that there may be a classified response to our letter but have yet to receive it. This vague assurance, however, failed to include any information on when we could expect your reply or whether it would address all of our questions." Risch had previously stated that it was likely they would not get any answers unless they issued a subpoena.

In late May, Semafor reported, quoting people familiar with a Congressional probe into Malley's handling of classified information, that Biden’s Iran envoy transferred documents to his personal devices “with classifications ranging from sensitive but unclassified to classified,” and may have shared some with unauthorized people, “to advance his diplomatic efforts.” Among the documents downloaded by Malley on his personal devices, Semafor reported, were "detailed notes of the diplomat’s encounters with Iranian officials in the months leading up to his suspension.

Malley was appointed by President Joe Biden in early 2021 to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, advocating for sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear restrictions. Despite efforts, the deal has not been reinstated since Trump's 2018 withdrawal. In April 2023, Malley was placed on leave and had his security clearance suspended. Iran International first reported the incident two months later, but the State Department blocked all attempts to find more information about Malley’s case.

Separately, on Wednesday US Senator Tom Cotton and US Congress Member Elise M. Stefanik Elise M. Stefani wrote to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her national security advisor, Philip Gordon's connections to Ariane Tabatabai, a senior Department of Defense official involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Tehran’s influence in the United States.

In 2023, Iran International and Semafor investigation uncovered the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) - a scheme devised by Iran’s foreign ministry in 2014 to bring together a network of scholars outside Iran to advocate Iran's foreign policy and nuclear strategy. A few were been named in the report, including Ariane Tabatabai, who entered the State Department after Biden was elected.

Cotton and Stefanik cited Mr. Gordon's past collaborations with Ms. Tabatabai and his associations with the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), an alleged Iranian influence organization.

"We write to express concern about your national security advisor Mr. Philip Gordon’s connections to Ms. Ariane Tabatabai," Cotton and Stefanik stated in their letter. They added that Ms. Tabatabai was "reportedly involved in an Iranian government operation to expand Tehran’s soft power in the United States."

Cotton and Stefanik requested answers to several questions, including whether Mr. Gordon underwent security screening, his awareness of Ms. Tabatabai’s connections, and what actions Vice President Harris plans to take to address Iranian sympathizers within the administration. They set a deadline of August 9, 2024, for a response.