SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

Government report accuses Pompeo of assigning State Department employees personal duties

A report prepared by the Office of the Inspector General in the US State Department concluded that former Secretary Mike Pompeo violated the Federal Code of Conduct when he and his wife asked employees to carry out personal tasks not related to official work.

According to the report, published by the newspaper ” Poltico “, Friday, that Pompeo and his wife Susan asked employees to provide restaurant reservations, care for their dogs, go on shopping trips and perform a wide range of other personal tasks that are not related to official business.

The report noted that Pompeo submitted more than 100 requests that “appear to be personal in nature” and violate regulations.

Among these requests, the report cited, was that of at least 30 times, restaurant reservations were made for Pompeo’s family or friends.

The report also notes that on one occasion, an employee of the State Department was asked to book two appointments at Pompeo’s wife’s hairdressing salon.

The report says another employee helped Pompeo’s son obtain a hotel discount.

The report did not recommend imposing any punishment on Pompeo, given that he is no longer a government employee, but it did ask the State Department to create a new system that would allow employees to report such violations in the future.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Poltico newspaper, “The ministry appreciates the work of the inspector general’s office, agrees with all the recommendations and will proceed to implement them.”

On the other hand, the ” Washington Post ” newspaper said that Pompeo, in a statement, refused what was stated in the report, and said that he and his wife “did not at any time misuse taxpayers’ money or violate rules or ethical standards.”

Pompeo described the inspector general’s report as “yet another attempt by the government to discredit me and, worse yet, my wife’s reputation.”

Pompeo, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has political ambitions for the future, and is often cited among other Republicans as a presidential candidate for 2024, according to The Washington Post.

Pompeo was the last secretary of state to former President Donald Trump, and he stayed until January 20 when Republican Trump left the White House after defeating Democrat Joe Biden in the November election. AL-Hurra