Former State Department watchdog Steve Linick — ousted last month by Trump — told lawmakers last week that he has no idea whether the Pompeo probes were halted once he left the department in mid-May
Former State Department watchdog Steve Linick — ousted last month by President Donald Trump amid ongoing inquiries into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — told lawmakers last week that he has no idea whether the Pompeo probes were halted once he left the department in mid-May.
Linick told lawmakers that he was shocked by his removal, which came abruptly on May 15. He said he had just concluded a coronavirus briefing with staffers that morning when Undersecretary Brian Bulatao and Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, senior aides to Pompeo, asked him for a meeting.Linick was then placed on administrative leave, losing access to his office and files. He was allowed back in the following day, with an escort, to reclaim his personal effects.
Linick noted that the State Department informed Congress that the reviews were still ongoing, but he acknowledged that his successor, acting inspector general Stephan Akard, would have discretion over whether to continue it and how many resources to put into it. Akard has raised flags on Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle because he is retaining his position as a senior State Department aide, in addition to the acting inspector general role.
Linick accused Bulatao, in particular, of "bullying" him and said he had never been given any indication that his performance was in question. Though Trump needs no cause to remove an inspector general, Linick said he never got any explanation for why the president might have lost confidence in him.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
State Department launches new push to free American hostage Morad Tahbaz from IranThe State Department is launching a new push to free an American hostage being held in an Iranian jail, shortly after Navy veteran Michael White was freed from nearly two years' imprisonment in the Islamic Republic.
Read more »
4 'Vanderpump' regulars ousted over slurs, racial profilingNEW YORK (AP) — Four cast members are not returning for another season of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” — two over their racist social media posts, and the others after they racially profiled a...
Read more »
Long lines, voting machine problems fuel investigations in U.S. state of GeorgiaVoters encountered long lines and problems with voting machines on Tuesday during a chaotic day of in-person balloting in Georgia, the latest state to struggle to conduct elections amid the health worries of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?View NPR's maps and graphics to see where COVID-19 is hitting hardest in the U.S., which state outbreaks are growing and which are leveling off.
Read more »
Georgia secretary of state launches investigation after 'unacceptable' voting problemsBREAKING: Georgia secretary of state launches investigation into voting issues as hours-long waits, problems with new voting machines and a lack of available ballots plague voters on Tuesday.
Read more »
Video released in fatal shooting of unarmed black man by N.J. state trooperA friend of Maurice Gordon, 28, called 911 a day before his death to say he was concerned about Gordon, who had recently left his home and was acting 'a little weird.'
Read more »