“For example, several career employees reported that throughout her tenure at the Department, Ms. Stull referred to them or to other career employees as ‘Obama holdovers,’ ‘traitors,’ or ‘disloyal,'” the report said. “Other career employees told OIG that Ms. Stull accused them of being part of the ‘Deep State’ and that the Assistant Secretary accused them of ‘undermining the President’s agenda.'”
“In one instance, the report noted, Stull “expressed displeasure” with a legislative affairs employee accompanying a delegation of the Congressional Black Caucus “because it consisted of only Democratic members.” Stull accused the employee “of trying to ‘thwart’ President Trump and undermine his agenda” and many of the employee’s job responsibilities were reassigned. That employee eventually left the State Department.”
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- Former Trump official in question left in January
- One wonders if the OIG investigated whether Obama holdovers operate their own “culture of impunity” (see article)
Top State Department officials berated and insulted staff, labeled some ‘traitors’ CNN (excerpt)
CNN (an excerpt) Top officials in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs subjected employees to “disrespectful and hostile treatment,” accusations of disloyalty, and retaliation, a long-awaited report from the department’s watchdog agency found. The report also said the bureau’s leadership “did not take significant action” to address these concerns.
“Nearly every employee interviewed by OIG raised concerns about the leadership of IO and the treatment of staff,” according to the report released Thursday by the State Department Office of Inspector General.
The bureau’s leaders labeled some employees “traitors,” if they felt they didn’t support President Donald Trump. They berated others for following procedures, punished staff for not doing work the department’s Office of the Legal Adviser had deemed “inappropriate” and targeted others for retaliation, in one case because of a staffer’s “relationship with the gay and lesbian community.”
The concerns are largely centered around Mari Stull — the “Vino Vixen” wine blogger lobbyist turned Trump administration appointee in IO — and IO Assistant Secretary Kevin Moley. . . .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel said Thursday that the report “confirms what we feared: ‘disrespectful and hostile’ treatment of career employees at the State Department.” The New York Democrat urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to fire Moley.
“There is more to come, and I hope it comes very soon. The delays from the Department on this matter have been frustrating. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is conducting an independent inquiry on these matters, and we won’t stop until this culture of impunity is ended and everyone responsible faces stiff consequences,” Engel said in a statement.
