At least 20 types of gifts missing from State Department’s vault

The State Department’s inspector general is reportedly investigating the disappearance of at last 20 types of items that had been in the agency’s gift vault, with dozens of individual items or more unaccounted for. 

Politico reported that two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said that dozens or hundreds of individual items that were previously in the State Department’s gift vault are now nowhere to be found. 

The officials said that most of the missing items were gifts that the U.S. had planned to give to other countries, with many bearing former President Trump’s insignia. 

The Hill has reached out to the State Department and its inspector general for comment. 

The new details come after the The New York Times reported Wednesday that the State Department was investigating the disappearance of a $5,800 bottle of whiskey that the Japanese government gifted to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

A public State Department filing released Wednesday reported a series of gifts that were given to several public officials, including Pompeo and Trump, throughout 2019. 

One of the reported gifts given to Pompeo was the bottle of whiskey, which, according to the State Department document, was received on June 24, 2019.

However, William Burck, Pompeo’s lawyer, told The Hill in a statement Wednesday that Trump’s top diplomat did not recall receiving a bottle of whiskey from the Japanese government. 

“Mr. Pompeo has no recollection of receiving the bottle of whiskey and does not have any knowledge of what happened to it,” Burck said. “He is also unaware of any inquiry into its whereabouts. He has no idea what the disposition was of this bottle of whiskey.” 

The Times noted Wednesday that Pompeo was on a visit to Saudi Arabia on the date the gift was received. 

While U.S. officials may keep gifts with a value less than $390, they are required to purchase any gifts over that amount.