Steve Linick, the ousted State Department watchdog, told members of the House last week that he can’t say for sure if the investigations being conducted into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stopped once he was fired.
In a private, virtual interview with the House Foreign Affairs and Oversight Committees, a transcript of which was released on Wednesday, Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., asked Linick why he referred to the investigations as “ongoing” when he is not the inspector general.
Linick answered that the probes “were ongoing” when he left the department, and said that “after May 15, I would have no indication one way or the other” if the investigations were ongoing or concluded.
He also said that he was “shocked” by his removal, saying, “I've been given no valid reason that would justify my removal. And the explanations I've heard so far in the press are either unfounded or misplaced.”
Linick said, “I've been a dedicated public servant for 28 years. I've conducted my work with honor, integrity, and without regard to politics. I followed the facts wherever they take me. Numerous senior officials in the Department who -- with whom I've interacted have commented that they thought our work was fair, objective, that we accomplished our mission, and that was my understanding.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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