US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley speaks to VOA Persian at the State Department in Washington. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

By Eric Levine

JNS.org – With just minutes left in his administration, former President Joe Biden pardoned five family members. In so doing, he may not have clinched the title of worst president of all time, but he did win the gold medal for being the most cynical and dishonest.

Clearly, Biden did not want his successor, President Donald Trump, to do to his family and friends what the US Department of Justice during his administration attempted to do to Trump, his family and his allies—weaponize the criminal justice system and attack political enemies for political gain.

In one respect, Biden is doing Trump a favor. By not spending time settling scores as some in his inner circle would like, the 47th president can stay focused on “making America great again” by implementing the policies he was elected to enact.

However, there is one pardon Biden did not issue and whose conduct cannot be glossed over or condoned—that of Biden’s special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley. As a May 6 letter to then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho)—former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively—makes clear, Malley left government under a cloud warranting having his security clearance revoked.

“[W]e understand that Mr. Malley’s security clearance was suspended because he allegedly transferred classified documents to his personal email account and downloaded these documents to his personal cell phone,” they wrote. “It is unclear to whom he intended to provide these documents, but it is believed that a hostile cyber actor was able to gain access to his email and/or phone and obtain the downloaded information.”

Many believe that the “hostile cyber actor” in this case is Iran and that Malley downloaded the classified information to his phone so that it could be transmitted to the Islamic Republic. It is also believed that the information downloaded pertained to US and/or Israeli intelligence regarding Iran’s nuclear program. In light of the Biden administration’s policy of weakness and appeasement toward Iran, Malley’s conduct must have been incredibly egregious for him to have lost his security clearance.

His conduct is even more outrageous in the wake of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Iran’s role in it. How many Americans and Israelis may have died because of his perfidy may never be known for sure. However, it appears that at a minimum, he was instrumental in putting the lives of Americans and the national security of the United States at risk.

Yet, Malley goes unpunished. To date, his punishment has taken the form of being appointed to the faculty of Princeton University.

As the McCaul/Risch letter highlights, the Biden White House obstructed Congress’s oversight responsibilities and its efforts to learn more about why Malley lost his clearance.

With the change in presidential administration, it is time to reinvigorate the investigation into Malley’s conduct. Equal justice under the law demands that he be investigated. If it is found that he has committed treason, then he must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Investigating and prosecuting treason is not settling scores. It is keeping the country safe. If Trump has sworn to do anything, it is to do just that.