Democrats: Fired watchdog was looking into Saudi arms sales

Congressional Democrats say State Department watchdog fired by President Donald Trump last week was investigating possible impropriety in a massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year, ding new questions to watchdog’s abrupt dismissal.

Democrats said Monday that ousted Inspector General Steve Linick was probing how State Department pushed through a $7 billion Saudi arms sale over congressional objections. Democrats previously suggested dismissal might have been tied to Linick’s investigation of allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have improperly ordered staff to run personal errands for him.

Neir White House r State Department has provided specific reasons for Linick’s dismissal, which comes amid broer concerns over Trump’s removal of numerous inspectors general at various executive branch departments.

Eliot Engel, chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was troubled that Linick was sacked before completion of Saudi investigation. Engel h called for that probe after Pompeo in May 2019 invoked a rarely used provision in federal law to bypass a congressional review of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

“His office was investigating — at my request -- Trump’s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,” said Engel, D-N.Y. “We don’t have full picture yet, but it’s troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed.”

He called for State Department to turn over records related to Linick’s firing that he and top Democrat on Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, h demanded on Saturday.

Trump’s firing of Pompeo late Friday was done at Pompeo’s recommendation and is effective in 30 days. Over weekend, congressional aides h suggested that it may have been prompted by a probe into allegations that secretary h ordered a staffer to pick up take-out food, collect dry cleaning for him and his wife, and care for ir dog. While problematic, such allegations are unlikely to result in any kind of severe consequence against Pompeo if proved correct.

A finding of impropriety in Saudi arms sales could, however, be more serious.

Engel and or congressional Democrats were appalled when Pompeo in May 2019 tified Congress of decision to use an emergency loophole in Arms Export Control Act to move ahe with sales of $7 billion in precision guided munitions, or bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support to Saudi Arabia, along with United Arab Emirates and Jordan, without lawmakers’ approval.

law requires Congress to be tified of potential arms sales, giving body opportunity to block sale. But law also allows president to waive that review process by declaring an emergency that requires sale be me “in national security interests of United States.”

In his tification, Pompeo said he h me determination “that an emergency exists which requires immediate sale” of weapons “in order to deter furr malign influence of government of Iran throughout Middle East region.” He said transfers “must occur as quickly as possible in order to deter furr Iranian venturism in Gulf and throughout Middle East.”

It came as ministration actively courted close ties with Saudi Arabia over congressional objections, tably following killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based columnist for Washington Post, by Saudi nts in October 2018.

re was precedent for using emergency exemption for arms sales to Saudi Arabia. President Ronald Reagan invoked it in 1980s, and both Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush used it for sales before 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War.

Pompeo has been silent about congressional criticism. But on Sunday, in apparent defiance, Pompeo posted a photo on his personal Twitter account of himself and a new puppy that he and his wife, Susan, have opted.