Trump installs new inspector general at State Department in another shake-up at watchdog office [View all]

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Source: Washington Post

National Security
Trump installs new inspector general at State Department in another shake-up at watchdog office

By John Hudson
September 3, 2020 at 2:36 p.m. EDT

President Trump has appointed a new temporary leader of the State Department's internal watchdog office following the abrupt departure of a previous acting inspector general, creating another shake-up at an institution tasked with investigating alleged corruption and wrongdoing. ... Matthew Klimow, the former U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan, has accepted the new position on an acting basis, he said in a statement to The Washington Post.

The office has come under criticism from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aides as it continues investigations that have pointed out wrongdoing and misbehavior by political appointees at the department.

The rationale behind the temporary appointment, which is for 90 days, remains unclear. The office was being run by another acting inspector general, Diana Shaw, who has experience conducting investigative oversight but also worked closely with the ousted inspector general Steve Linick, whom Pompeo has called a "bad actor."

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The appointment of Klimow, who received the Silver Star for valor in combat, was first reported by Politico. ... Before his post in Turkmenistan, Klimow served in the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, where he was responsible for crisis contingency planning.

John Hudson
John Hudson is a national security reporter at The Washington Post covering the State Department and diplomacy. He has reported from a mix of countries including Ukraine, Pakistan, Malaysia, China, and Georgia. Follow https://twitter.com/John_Hudson

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-installs-new-inspector-general-at-state-department-in-another-shake-up-at-watchdog-office/2020/09/03/9c3fc898-ee0b-11ea-a21a-0fbbe90cfd8c_story.html

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Trump installs new inspector general at State Department in another shake-up at watchdog office

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