New reasons are emerging for why it was important that the inspector general of the State Department be removed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wasn’t just illegally using the State Department personnel to handle his personal errands—he turned taxpayer-funded dinners intended to support U.S. foreign policy objectives into a means of building his own political clout.
Instead of holding quiet dinners with foreign dignitaries and diplomats, Pompeo lined up massive—and costly—affairs with U.S. politicians, big GOP donors, and celebrities. And he didn’t do this just once. He did it dozens of times.
Last Friday, Donald Trump abruptly fired the inspector general of the State Department. It was the third time in as many weeks that Trump had waved goodbye to one of the inspectors intended to guard against government corruption, and brought the total number of empty inspector general spots to 15. Trump hates whistleblowers—all criminals do—but when he was asked about the reason that the State Department inspector general was ousted, Trump immediately denied any knowledge. Instead, he claimed that he had done it all on the advice of Mike Pompeo.
This morning, the reasons why Pompeo would have wanted the inspector general out are continuing to grow. Earlier stories had indicated the inspector general was investigating Pompeo’s misuse of state department professionals to handle such tasks as walking his dog, picking up his dry cleaning, and handling his dinner reservations. But new information reported by NBC News shows that Pompeo wasn’t just using the State Department as his own personal fiefdom. He was also using it to promote his own campaign for political office.
NBC collected information on two dozen “Madison Dinners” that Pompeo held from 2018 right up until they were curtailed by the novel coronavirus in March. Despite using State Department facilities, State Department personnel, and State Department funds—as well as resources from other agencies, such as the Secret Service—the dinners don’t seem to have been State Department business.
Instead, the elaborate private dinners hosted by Pompeo and his wife brought in corporate billionaires, members of the right-wing media, and members of the House or Senate. Except … just Republican members of the House or Senate. Not a single Democrat was invited to any of the dinners.
So, Mike Pompeo was throwing himself an entire series of high-power dinners bringing together GOP billionaires, Fox News talking heads, conservative lobbyists, and Republican politicians … on the public’s dime. There were some foreign leaders and diplomats invited, but they were less than 20% of the names on Pompeo’s list.
Despite the name, these “Madison Dinners” don’t follow in a tradition started by Madison. (Or anyone else.) At least two State Department officials have protested that Pompeo’s dinners were not related to foreign policy.
Pompeo’s spokesperson has defended the dinners as valuable opportunities for the secretary of state to hear from a variety of “thought leaders.” But oddly, the only thoughts Pompeo seems to be interested in are Republican donors, Republican politicians, Republican media flacks, and diplomats from countries like Saudi Arabia.