"President Donald Trump is
removing State Department Inspector General Steve Linick from his
position in what Rep. Eliot Engel is calling a potential act of
“retaliation” for opening an investigation into Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo.The probe involved possible misuse of a political appointee’s
time by Pompeo and his wife for personal tasks.
Linick, a Justice Department veteran appointed in 2013, is the latest of a number of watchdogs ejected recently as Trump seeks to purge anyone from the government he believes has not been loyal to him. Ambassador Stephen Akard, a State Department appointee who worked for Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana, has been tapped as Linick’s interim replacement. Akard was Pence’s chief of staff for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. A State Department representative told Politico that Akard, a former foreign service officer, “will now lead the Office of the Inspector General at the State Department” in an “acting” role.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) called the “Friday night attack” by Trump “shameful.” He added in a tweet: “At this point, the President’s paralyzing fear of any oversight is undeniable.” Shaub accused Trump of “tearing down the fabric of our republic” with his vendetta against inspectors general. He pointed out that the law requiring Trump to give Congress 30 days notice of Linick’s removal gives lawmakers time to fight his decision.
Linick, a Justice Department veteran appointed in 2013, is the latest of a number of watchdogs ejected recently as Trump seeks to purge anyone from the government he believes has not been loyal to him. Ambassador Stephen Akard, a State Department appointee who worked for Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana, has been tapped as Linick’s interim replacement. Akard was Pence’s chief of staff for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. A State Department representative told Politico that Akard, a former foreign service officer, “will now lead the Office of the Inspector General at the State Department” in an “acting” role.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) called the “Friday night attack” by Trump “shameful.” He added in a tweet: “At this point, the President’s paralyzing fear of any oversight is undeniable.” Shaub accused Trump of “tearing down the fabric of our republic” with his vendetta against inspectors general. He pointed out that the law requiring Trump to give Congress 30 days notice of Linick’s removal gives lawmakers time to fight his decision.
Just weeks ago
Trump removed Christi Grimm as principal deputy inspector general for
the Department of Health and Human Services after her office criticized
his administration’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Last month,
Trump booted intelligence community Inspector General Michael Atkinson,
who forwarded the whistleblower complaint that led to the president’s
impeachment.
Trump also forced out acting Pentagon Inspector General
Glenn Fine, who had been chosen as chairman of the federal panel
Congress created to oversee management of the government’s $2 trillion
COVID-19 stimulus package." SHAMEFUL -- OUR DEMOCRACY IS ON LIFE
SUPPORT. VOTE BLUE IN NOVEMBER TO GIVE IT A VENTILATOR AND SAVE ITS
LIFE!!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/steve-linick-inspector-general-out-state-department_n_5ebf4e05c5b6aa71af11aae6
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