During an interview aired on Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that all he can say about Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley — who is reportedly under investigation for mishandling classified material and has had his security clearance suspended — is that Malley has “dedicated his life, his career to serving our country, and he’s done so admirably.”
Host Andrea Mitchell asked, “And speaking of Iran, the Special Envoy, Rob Malley, has had his security clearance suspended. He’s being investigated by the FBI and diplomatic security for mishandling classified documents. Is this a huge setback in any hopes of getting back on track?”
Blinken responded, “Well, first, this is a personnel matter. There’s only so much I can say about a personnel matter. What I can say is I’ve known Rob Malley for many, many years. And he’s someone who’s dedicated his life, his career to serving our country, and he’s done so admirably. The work that we’re doing on Iran, making sure that it doesn’t acquire a nuclear weapon, bringing home those unjustly detained, pushing back in coordination with allies and partners against its behavior in other areas, that continues.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
