By Aaron Miller-
The U.S state Department has complained about the process of impeachment inquiry, alleging that state secrets are being put at risk and the department is being afforded little visibility into the testimonies of its former employees
Mike Pompeo attacked at the Democrats for what he sees as an unfair process, where state secrets are being put at risk and the department is being afforded little visibility into what its current and former employees are saying. He complained that State Department lawyers were not allowed in the room.
“They’re not letting State Department lawyers in the room … they have not let State Department lawyers be part of these hearings,” Pompeo said. “That’s unheard of … I haven’t seen you all report that.”
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“This is deeply troubling to me,” Pompeo said, adding that the department has relayed these concerns to Democrats conducting the probe. “Because I have an obligation to protect the State Department. Not only [is it] classified information but private conversations that are confidential, are information we don’t want in the hands of others. And we’ve not been permitted to see what it is our former employees have told this committee.”
Pompeo’s criticisms echo the House Republicans’ strategy in dealing with the inquiry: He is rapping Democrats for the manner in which they are conducting their investigations, but not directly addressing the substance of the probe.
Executive branch departments have rejected subpoenas and requests for documents from House Democrats. Nearly all of them — the State Department, the Pentagon, and the vice president’s office — have pointed to a letter signed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone last week calling the impeachment inquiry illegitimate and vowing not to cooperate.
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