WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2023) State Department acting Inspector General Diana Shaw is scrutinizing the suspension of a senior US diplomat's security clearance, Politico reported.
The investigation concerns the suspension of the security clearance of Robert Malley, who serves as a US Special Representative for Iran, the report said.
The State Department placed Malley on leave last month under unclear circumstances that prompted Republicans on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to demand action from the State Department in the form of a letter, the report said on Tuesday.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) considers several factors when determining whether to initiate work, including statutory requirements, available resources, jurisdictional authority and the existence of criteria against which to measure the State Department's actions, the report said.
Considering these factors and the circumstances detailed in the letter, the OIG plan to begin a preliminary review, Shaw said in a letter responding to the Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee and quoted in the report.
Preliminary reviews are part of the early fact-finding process conducted by an inspector general and may include informal talks with individuals connected to the events under investigation, the report said.
Malley is also at the center of an FBI investigation looking into his handling of classified information, the report added.
