On Friday, President Donald Trump fired yet another inspector general — this time from the State Department — who was reportedly investigating possibly illegal acts committed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, CNN reports:

“Not long after Linick’s firing was announced, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Rep. Elliot Engel) said Linick had opened an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“The inspector general investigation Engel referenced centers around possible misuse of a political appointee at the State Department to perform personal tasks for Pompeo and his wife, a Democratic congressional aide with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.”

In his letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Trump didn’t specify exactly why he had removed Linick from his post, writing:

“As is the case with regard to other positions where I, as President, have the power of appointment, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspector General. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”

Linick also had a role in the impeachment probe, according to ABC News. He personally requested a meeting with senior members of Congress so he could hand over pertinent documents regarding President Trump’s alleged extortion of Ukraine. Trump was accused of asking the Ukrainians for dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden in exchange for military aide that had been approved by the House and Senate:

“Those papers, later confirmed to come largely from Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, showed what one senior State Department official called a disinformation campaign that smeared U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, which appeared to have led to her firing. They also included false claims about Biden, his son Hunter, and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, whose board Hunter sat on.”

Rep. Engel made it clear that his committee intends to investigate Linick’s removal, which he alleges is illegal:

“Mr. Linick’s firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation. This President believes he is above the law. As he systematically removes the official independent watchdogs from the Executive Branch, the work of the Committee on Foreign Affairs becomes that much more critical. In the days ahead, I will be looking into this matter in greater detail, and I will press the State Department for answers.”

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