Pompeo huddled with donors, political figures while on official State Department trips: report

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made pit stops while on official State Department business to meet with high-level Republican donors and conservative political figures, The New York Times reported.

The Times highlighted multiple instances in which Pompeo had an unscheduled meeting with prominent GOP donors. According to the paper, Pompeo had one of these meetings in October, December and January.

The October meeting featured billionaire Charles Koch who has been a longtime supporter of Pompeo, the Times says.

The paper also says the meetings happened while the country’s top diplomat was weighing a Senate run in his adopted home state of Kansas, noting his political aspirations for a potential presidential bid in 2024.

It is unclear the specific number of times Pompeo has taken such meetings, but the Times says that a patten of the behavior is present.

The State Department at times has announced beforehand that Pompeo will be meeting with corporate leaders, but the department hasn’t divulged further details.

Scrutiny into Pompeo’s conduct on official trips has increased since State Department Inspector General Steve  Linick was fired last Friday by President Trump after Pompeo requested he do so.

Linick had reportedly opened probe into the use of federal resources for personal use by Pompeo and his wife.

Liberal watchdog group American Oversight demanded this week that the State Department hand over all documents related to Pompeo’s travels.

The Times notes that Pompeo isn’t the first secretary of state to have political aspirations while in office, citing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who launched her presidential bid for the 2016 election after serving as former President Obama’s chief diplomat. 

The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.