Democrats to interview ousted State Department watchdog
WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Democrats will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday as part of their investigation into his abrupt firing by President Donald Trump.
Linick will speak to Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to two congressional aides working on the investigation. The aides requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.
Democrats announced Friday that they are expanding their probe into Linick's firing earlier this month with a series of interviews. The investigation is part of a larger effort by Democrats and some Republicans to find out more about Trump’s recent moves to sideline several independent government watchdogs.
The Democrats plan to interview multiple officials in the administration who may have more information about Linick’s dismissal on May 15, including whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recommended the firing for retaliatory reasons. Pompeo has denied Linick’s firing was retaliatory but has not given specific reasons for his dismissal.
The investigation is being led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They said they will release transcripts shortly after each interview.
“If Secretary Pompeo pushed for Mr. Linick’s dismissal to cover up his own misconduct, that would constitute an egregious abuse of power and a clear attempt to avoid accountability,” the Democrats said in a joint statement Friday.
It’s unclear whether Linick will come to Capitol Hill in person or appear virtually for the transcribed interview. The House will...