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.”ADADSome State Department officials expressed concern that the appointment would create more disruption at an office in need of stable leadership. Akard was brought in to replace Linick, who had been investigating allegations that Pompeo and his wife, Susan, had improperly used State Department resources. ADLinick was also examining several other issues, including Pompeo’s decision to expedite arms sales to Saudi Arabia by declaring a national security emergency that defied the objections of Congress.

Source: Washington Post September 03, 2020 18:33 UTC