Fired State Department inspector general Steve Linick defended his record Wednesday in a transcribed remote interview with lawmakers investigating his removal.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP, FILE
Linick told lawmakers his office issued more than 700 reports and saved taxpayers nearly $2 billion. Linick also invoked the late Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a conservative fiscal watchdog who he said shared some advice with him when he became an inspector general. Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had previously said that Linick was investigating the department's use of emergency legal authority in May of 2019 to sell billions of dollars in arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against congressional opposition. His office was also looking into whether Pompeo used staff to run personal errands, according to a congressional aide.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing at the State Department on May 20, 2020, in Washington.Pompeo has said that he was unaware of any investigations into his actions when he recommended Linick's removal to President Donald Trump.
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