New York Times: Pompeo had answered written questions in watchdog probe of Saudi arms deal
(CNN)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had answered written questions from the State Department inspector general’s office as part of its probe into the administration’s move to bypass Congress and expedite last year’s $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia by declaring an emergency, three people with knowledge of his actions told The New York Times.
The revelation comes after House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel claimed the State Department inspector general fired by President Donald Trump Friday night, Steve Linick, had nearly completed an investigation into Pompeo’s controversial decision to fast-track the same arms sale. CNN previously reported that Pompeo had refused to sit for an interview as a part of the investigation.
«I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick’s firing. His office was investigating — at my request — Trump’s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,» Engel, a New York Democrat, said in a statement to CNN Monday.
«We don’t have the full picture yet, but it’s troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed.»
Pompeo told The Washington Post on Monday that he asked Trump to remove Linick because the independent watchdog was «undermining» the department and wasn’t performing in a way that the top US diplomat wanted him to. He did not go into details about what specifically displeased him about Linick’s job performance.
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«I went to the President and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn’t performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he’s supposed to be doing,» he told the Post. «The kinds of activities he’s supposed to undertake to make us better, to improve us.»
Last May, the Trump administration declared an emergency to bypass Congress and expedite billions of dollars in arms sales to various countries — including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — citing the need to deter what it called «the malign influence» of Iran throughout the Middle East.
«These sales will support our allies, enhance Middle East stability, and help these nations to deter and defend themselves from the Islamic Republic of Iran,» Pompeo said in a statement at the time, which put the value of the sales at $8.1 billion.
But the move drew bipartisan condemnation, with lawmakers decrying the precedent it would set.
CNN previously reported that Linick was also investigating whether Pompeo made a staffer perform a variety of personal errands, including walking his dog, picking up dry cleaning and making a dinner reservation for him and his wife, according to a Democratic aide.
Still, Pompeo claimed he was not aware that Linick was investigating him at the time he recommended that the IG be removed.
According to the Post, he only knew about one case «involving a national security matter.»
«It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation, rather, to the President, rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on, or is currently going on,» Pompeo said.
«Because I simply don’t know. I’m not briefed on it. I usually see these investigations in final draft form 24 hours, 48 hours, before the IG is prepared to release them.»
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler, Nicole Gaouette and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.
