Washington—Today, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, announced that they have scheduled depositions of key witnesses in the joint probe of President Trump’s firing of State Department Inspector General Steve A. Linick. The Committees are investigating whether the President removed Mr. Linick in order to stop his office’s work looking into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s conduct.
“The American people deserve to hear the truth about why the President fired one of the government’s independent watchdogs at Secretary Pompeo’s urging. Our investigation has identified individuals who were involved in Mr. Linick’s firing, who knew about his office’s ongoing work or both. It’s disappointing that the State Department refused to make these witnesses available for the voluntary transcribed interviews we originally requested, but we’re determined to get the transparency Americans deserve,” said Engel and Maloney.
The Committees announced the following depositions:
- June 29, 2020 at 10:00 am: Ms. Lisa D. Kenna, Executive Secretary, U.S. Department of State
- July 8, 2020 at 10:00 am: Mr. Mike Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade, Bureau of Political Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- July 10, 2020 at 10:00 am: Ms. Toni A. Porter, Senior Adviser, U.S. Department of State
- July 22, 2020 at 10:00 am: Mr. Marik String, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- July 24, 2020 at 10:00 am: Mr. Charles Faulkner, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- July 27, 2020 at 10:00 am: Mr. R. Clarke Cooper, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
On June 3, Mr. Linick voluntarily appeared for a transcribed interview.
Engel and Maloney, along with Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, requested transcribed interviews with these witnesses and Under Secretary of State for Management Brian Bulatao, who has agreed to testify at a hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs next week.
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