Washington (CNN) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Sen. Robert Menendez and his staff Thursday of "conducting character assassination attempts" -- a charge the New Jersey Democrat dismissed as one of Pompeo's "high level temper tantrums." In the weeks since State Department inspector general Steve Linick was fired , the fraught relationship between the top US diplomat and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has appeared to grow increasingly adversarial. Thursday's letter to Menendez is the latest jab from Pompeo, who finds himself under scrutiny and on the defensive after recommending the removal of his agency's independent watchdog. A State Department spokesperson said the department "is carefully reviewing various requests for information, records, and interviews with State Department personnel, and is committed to engaging in good faith discussions with the Chairman (Engel) concerning these requests." A senior State Department official told CNN "it is clear" that Pompeo "feels the pressure" amid the fallout from Linick's firing and the subsequent investigation.

Source: CNN May 29, 2020 18:00 UTC