Secretary Of State Playing Fine Line With Speeches
Sunday, September 27th, 2020 -- 10:00 AM
(AP) -Undaunted by criticism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is forging ahead with a series of events that have overtly political overtones ahead of the November presidential election.Casting aside a long tradition of the nation’s top diplomat shunning partisan politics, Pompeo gave a speech last Wednesday in the swing state of Wisconsin, marking his participation in the fourth event this month alone that goes well beyond what previous secretaries of state have done in support of the presidents they have served. From the Republican National Convention, which he addressed by recorded video from Israel, to an evangelical megachurch in Texas last weekend and the Value Voters Summit in Washington just on Tuesday, Pompeo has not been shy in taking his message to audiences considered essential to the President’s reelection. And, more are scheduled.
While Pompeo’s speeches have stopped short of blatant calls to vote for the President, the venues he has chosen have raised eyebrows and sparked allegations from Democrats of possible violations of federal law. Pompeo and his aides have denied any wrongdoing and defended his appearances as part of explaining foreign policy and the State Department’s role to the American people. Yet, they fit a pattern he has established since becoming secretary of state nearly three years ago. He has bristled at restrictions his predecessors have observed in abeyance of the Hatch Act, which forbids political activity by federal officials in their positions.
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