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House Democrat Launches Investigation Into Secretary Pompeo’s RNC Speech

Posted on 25 August 2020

A House Democrat on Tuesday announced that he will be investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s RNC speech.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) blasted Secretary Pompeo for his RNC convention speech from Jerusalem, calling it “appalling.”

“Now he’s doing just that thing, and then, of course, really sadly, discoloring our bipartisanship in terms of our support for Israel, which has always been bipartisan, and we always want it to be,” Pelosi said earlier Tuesday.

“The image is something that’s going to say, look at us, we’re here in Israel making a speech to the Republican National Convention, violating our values in terms of the bipartisanship and our support for Israel, violating in many ways what he told his own employees,” she added.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs panel sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and asked for documents on Pompeo’s planned remarks.

The Hill reported:

Pompeo is coming under scrutiny for taking time during official diplomatic travel in the Middle East to record remarks to be played at the GOP convention Tuesday night.

The secretary is believed to have recorded remarks from Jerusalem, further drawing criticism that the nation’s top diplomat was using the Holy City as a prop for partisan and political gain.

The Hatch Act prohibits federal officials from participating in political activity while on official duty. The State Department has said that Pompeo is addressing the convention in his personal capacity and no department resources were used for preparing or delivering the remarks.

But Castro has said the secretary’s actions directly violate his instructions that State Department officials, specifically presidential and political appointees, are barred from engaging in political partisan activities abroad that are related to the U.S. elections.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that a sitting U.S. Secretary of State, America’s top diplomat, would use official taxpayer-funded business to participate in a political party convention, particularly after the State Department published guidance that explicitly prohibits such activity,” Castro wrote in his letter to Biegun. “This action is part of a pattern of politicization of U.S foreign policy, for which President Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives, that undermines America’s standing in the world. The American people deserve a full investigation.”

Biegun has until September 1 to hand over information requested by Castro.

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