Fired State Department IG was also investigating Trump’s Saudi arms sales: report
President Donald Trump has been widely criticized — even by some of his Republican supporters — for being so adamantly supportive of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite his role in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. And a report by NBC News’ Josh Lederman could reopen that old wound: Lederman is reporting that Former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, who Trump abruptly fired last week, had launched an investigation of arms sales to the Saudi government.
Monday morning on Twitter, Lederman posted, “JUST IN - 2 sources confirm to me that State Dept IG Linick was also investigating use of emergency declaration last year to sell arms to Saudis over objections of Congress.”
JUST IN - 2 sources confirm to me that State Dept IG Linick was also investigating use of emergency declaration las… https://t.co/4oEUOjM4Vr— Josh Lederman (@Josh Lederman)1589813989.0
In addition, members of Congress serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee told Post columnist Greg Sargent that the Saudi arms sales have been “mostly” completed.
Rep. Eliot Engle of New York told Sargent, “I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick’s firing: his office was investigating — at my request — Trump’s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia."
