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Pompeo says he never saw missing whisky, hints State Department incompetence
By Michael Lee
Published August 05, 2021
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has "no idea" about the whereabouts of a nearly $6,000 bottle of whisky that was apparently gifted to him by Japan, hinting that it could have gone missing due to State Department "incompetence."
The comments come after it was reported that State Department was investigating the disappearance of a bottle of whisky valued at $5,800 that was given to Pompeo by the government of Japan in 2019.
"The great case of the missing whisky bottle," Pompeo said during an interview with Fox News. "Look, a couple of facts. I have no idea. I assume it wasn't ever touched. It never got to me. I have no idea how the State Department lost this thing, although I saw enormous incompetence at the State Department during my time there. Had it been a case of Diet Coke, I'd have been all over it. I had no idea that they were this was missing, that there was an investigation I hear about this is this is all just crazy talk … I'm happy to if they want to give me a holler and help me give me a holler, I'm happy to try and help them find it."
"The Department is looking into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry," the State Department wrote in a public notice.
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U.S. government officials are not permitted to keep gifts valued at over $390, though they have the option to accept the gift and donate it to the National Archives or purchase it for themselves.
The State Department report that references the whisky bottle investigation also listed several gifts given to U.S. officials between 2017-2019, many of which went to former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump. All of those gifts were donated to the National Archives.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pompeo-says-he-never-saw-missing-whisky-hints-state-department-incompetence