State Department Inspector General is fired, was investigated for mishandling sensitive information
Chuck Ross
President Donald Trump fired Steve Linick, the State Department’s inspector general, on Friday night, sources told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Trump notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was removing Linick from office, effective in 30 days. He said in the letter that “it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General.”
“That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
Two sources familiar with Linick’s ouster told the DCNF that while they were not certain of the precise reason that the watchdog was fired, he was under investigation last year by the Department of Defense’s inspector general for mishandling sensitive material.
The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Linick, who has served as the State Department’s watchdog since Sept. 30, 2013, gained national attention last year when he arranged an impromptu briefing for lawmakers in which he turned over a batch of documents that Rudy Giuliani provided to the State Department regarding issues in Ukraine.
The packet of documents included news articles and other documents that Giuliani passed to Sec. of State Mike Pompeo through an intermediary regarding Joe Biden and his son’s activities in Ukraine.
Lawmakers, including Democrats, expressed confusion about the purpose of the briefing.
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said at the time that the briefing “raises more questions than it answers.”
The State Department and Defense Department inspectors general offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Linick’s office also investigated a meeting that State Department officials held in October 2016 with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who accused Donald Trump and his associates of conspiring with the Russian government.
Republican senators criticized Linick for failing to interview several participants in the meeting.
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Nancy P is working on legislation to take that power away from trump. What she forgets is, when the coon was elected, he fired all of them
Fire everyone involved with Obama or the Democrats their stabbing you in the back sir
Look at this clown. He looks like he’s insane. He sort reminds me of an idiot that can’t figure out what shoe, goes on what foot let alone handle sensitive information.
Again the MSM jumped to a conclusion without the details. Same with the socialist democrats
Again the MSM jumped to a conclusion without the details. Same with the socialist democrats
Again the MSM jumped to a conclusion without the details. Same with the socialist democrats
So what you are saying is that he strongly appears to be a Democrat Bureaucrat?
Entire State Department should be fired or imprisoned.
Another clueless and incompetent Obama appointee that turned out should have been fired the first week of his office. The media will be all over.it but never mention Obama replaced all Bush’s appointees in his first week!
He has been apart of theDeep State of Demoncrats for a long time. If he can’t do his Job without politics he is in the wrong job.
OBAMA “APPOINTEE” EXPLAINS IT ALL. . . .
I could care less how Nancy Pelosi feels about any of this; It is President Trump’s Term, Not Nancy Pelosi’s even though she thinks it is.
Good riddance!
One more denizen of the swamp bites the dust. Generally, it is not imperative that every body in an organization has to totally agree with the boss, but it’s never a good thing to have people in the administration who intentionally undermine the boss every chance they get. These treasonous dogs have to be eliminated because nothing good can happen while they are present. Trump probably would have been wise if he fired every damned one of these swamp critters the day he took office and replaced them all with people he could trust. At first I thought that finding swamp denizens would be tough, but it hasn’t worked out that way-if they were there when Trump got there, they were likely NOT trustworthy.
I don’t understand why he was not walked out immediately. Fire him and give him 30 days to create a mess. Not a good move. All Obama appointees should have been terminated Jan 2017.
Another swamp rat down.
He must be kin to Adam Schiff look at the eyes but that aside we do not need an IG that can not handle information this was the right thing to do drain the swamp
I don’t get it!! When you fire someone you have them walked out the door instantly. You don’t let them stay around for another month for them to do even more damage!!