Yes, of course, there is a whiskey investigation. The previous administration repeatedly and brazenly flouted rules and guidelines so much that we’re now on a hunt for a costly bottle of whiskey. The State Department wants to know where a bottle of whiskey that was gifted to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by Japan. At issue is that it’s not a $40 bottle of whiskey. U.S. officials can receive gifts less than $390, but they are not permitted to keep gifts over that price. In that case, they must purchase them. According to a report, the State Department said the bottle was appraised at $5,800.
And per the Constitution — that’s something the Trump administration gave little regard to — it is absolutely illegal for an American official to accept a gift from a foreign government, and gifts are considered property of the U.S. government. The reason that was added to the Constitution by the founders is so that foreign governments could not gain undue influence over American officials. Any officials caught accepting such gifts can face civil penalties or impeachment if they are still in office.
Mike Pompeo addressed that on Fox News and appeared to laugh it off as if it wasn’t a big deal. On top of that, he threw the State Department under the bus. Pompeo said, “I have no idea how the State Department lost this thing, although I saw enormous incompetence at the State Department.”
Watch:
“I have no idea how the State Department lost this thing, although I saw enormous incompetence at the State Department” — Mike Pompeo throws the State Department under the bus for a missing $5,800 bottle of whiskey that was gifted to him by Japan pic.twitter.com/V1JIRRYj29
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2021
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This doesn’t make him look good:
real convincing stuff here from Pompeo pic.twitter.com/kmCdS5kG9n
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2021
It’s adorable that the Fox News talking heads laughed along with Pompeo over this matter. Former President Donald Trump’s swampy administration acted as if rules were meaningless. They were so above rules, including the Constitution. So, where’s the expensive whiskey, Mike? There’s a new administration in town.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0
