Sudden new departure of an inspector general of American diplomacy

The gendarme of the American diplomacy in charge of investigating potentially embarrassing files for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mike Pompeo suddenly resigned Wednesday August 5, just a few months after the dismissal of his predecessor.

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State Department Inspector General Stephen Akard is a long-time aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and his arrival in May to the post to monitor US State Department action had been widely interpreted. as a way to protect Mike Pompeo, one of President Donald Trump's closest allies.

Return to "private sector"

Stephen Akard told colleagues he was " returning to the private sector after years of public service ," a State Department spokesperson said. " We are grateful to him for his dedication to the ministry and to our country ." The departure comes as the Office of the Inspector General is finalizing a report on Mike Pompeo's disputed use of an emergency procedure to unblock arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies. worth $ 8.1 billion, despite opposition from the US Congress.

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Donald Trump had sacked Stephen Akard's predecessor, Steve Linick, at the express request of Mike Pompeo while he was investigating the case. Steve Linick had also just opened an investigation into complaints accusing Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan of having demanded a salaried agent with taxpayer money to take their dog out or to fetch their clothes from the dry cleaners.

Mike Pompeo, who canceled a press conference at the last minute as the first news about Stephen Akard's resignation was released, criticized Steve Linick's work. Stephen Akard will be replaced temporarily by his assistant Diana Shaw, a lawyer who has worked for a long time in the Inspector General's office.