House DEMs have discovered that the fired IG had mostly completed an investigation into SOS Pompeo’s widely criticized decision to skirt Congress with an emergency declaration to approve billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/18/trumps-purge-just-got-much-more-corrupt-heres-whats-coming-next/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">The Saudi arms deal

In the spring of 2019, the Trump administration pushed through a plan for more than $8 billion in weapons sales, almost entirely to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/18/trumps-purge-just-got-much-more-corrupt-heres-whats-coming-next/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Pompeo employed an emergency declaration that under the law supposedly allowed it to proceed without the statutorily required 30-day period during which Congress must be formally notified and has the option of voting to block the sale. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/18/trumps-purge-just-got-much-more-corrupt-heres-whats-coming-next/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...
Despite Congress having registered its displeasure w/ the Yemen war powers vote, in May, Pompeo invoked an emergency provision of the law governing arms sales to approve 22 deals w/ SA, the UAE & Jordan w/out the typical 30-day congressional review period. https://thehill.com/policy/defense/453523-house-votes-to-block-trumps-saudi-arms-sale">https://thehill.com/policy/de...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Members of Congress are also looking at the Iran Disinformation Project, which had funding from the Pompeo’s State Department and used social media accounts to attack American citizens over their views on Iran policy. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/06/state-department-attacks-critics-of-trump-iran-policy-house-dems-investigate/">https://www.motherjones.com/politics/...
The committee also concluded that IP3, a private company lobbying the White House to transfer US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, has had “unprecedented access to the highest levels” of the administration, including meeting directly with Trump. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/politics/trump-veto-saudi-arms-sales.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/2...
Saudi Arabia has led the world’s nations in buying weapons for the past two years. And where do most of these weapons come from?

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), 70% of Saudi& #39;s arsenal now comes from the US. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-27/saudi-arabia-buying-more-weapons-ever">https://www.pri.org/stories/2...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔑" title="Key" aria-label="Emoji: Key">Engel’s office then tracked the investigation sporadically once it had begun, a Democratic aide said.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔑" title="Key" aria-label="Emoji: Key">The office learned by early spring that Mr. Linick had conveyed preliminary findings to the State Department. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/politics/pompeo-trump-linick-inspector-general-firing.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/1...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Mr. Trump and Mr. Pompeo were aware of the sensitivities around trying to bypass the congressional hold on the arms sales.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Mr. Pompeo made the announcement of the “emergency” declaration over Iran on the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/politics/pompeo-trump-linick-inspector-general-firing.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/1...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Such a holiday announcement is a common ploy by government officials to avoid immediate questions from Congress and extensive news coverage.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">The administration also announced it was sending 1,500 more troops to the Middle East. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/politics/pompeo-trump-linick-inspector-general-firing.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/1...
SOS Mike Pompeo and some political appointees in the State Department are pushing for the administration to invoke an emergency provision that would allow President Trump to prevent Congress from halting the sales, worth about $8.1 billion. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/trump-saudi-arabia-arms-sales.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/2...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">Mr. Pompeo had pushed aggressively for the sales, over the objections of career Foreign Service officers and lawmakers.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📌" title="Pushpin" aria-label="Emoji: Pushpin">After the announcement of the “emergency” on May 24, lawmakers pointedly asked why, if there was such a crisis. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/politics/pompeo-trump-linick-inspector-general-firing.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/1...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔑" title="Key" aria-label="Emoji: Key">Pompeo refused to sit for an interview with the State Department inspector general& #39;s office as part of its probe into the administration& #39;s move to bypass Congress and expedite last year& #39;s $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia by declaring an emergency https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/politics/state-department-inspector-general-investigating-pompeo-saudi-arms-deal/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/1...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔑" title="Key" aria-label="Emoji: Key">”I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick& #39;s firing.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔑" title="Key" aria-label="Emoji: Key">His office was investigating — at my request — Trump& #39;s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/politics/state-department-inspector-general-investigating-pompeo-saudi-arms-deal/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/1...
Nevertheless Pompeo says he didn’t know fired inspector general was investigating him

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Face with rolling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Face with rolling eyes">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Face with rolling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Face with rolling eyes">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Face with rolling eyes" aria-label="Emoji: Face with rolling eyes"> https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/pompeo-says-he-didnt-know-fired-inspector-general-was-investigating-him/2020/05/18/3ab08dca-9923-11ea-b60c-3be060a4f8e1_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-...
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