Yesterday morning we reported that Trump had fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Democrats asserted that Linick had been investigating both Mike Pompeo and his wife for using a political appointee to do personal services. We wrote:

So it sounds like Pompeo got some deputy who Pompeo used as a runner. “I need you to mow my lawn, pick up the dry-cleaning, get Mrs. Pompeo’s poodle “Pennelope” her shots, pick up some P.F. Changs, and drop this envelope stuffed with $250,000 in cash off to Ivan in the Russian embassy, they will know you’re coming.”

We were having a little fun with Mike Pompeo who is not a nice person, indeed Pompeo is a pompous ass who has done nothing but kiss Trump’s ass, be highly partisan in a position that is supposed to have zero partisanship, and be an all-around jerk.

According to a report in Politico this morning, we were more right than we knew. Moreover, Trump’s termination of Linick has put even more heat on Pompeo because now more people are talking about the couple’s abuse of the system.

U.S. diplomats have quietly voiced concerns for many months about Susan Pompeo’s role at the State Department. They note, for instance, that she occasionally travels with the secretary, requiring State Department staffers to assist her.

Last summer, CNN reported that congressional investigators were looking into whistleblower complaints that the Pompeos had used diplomatic security agents to run errands for them, such as picking up Chinese food, their dog and their adult son.

So we missed on the bag of money to the Russians.

But there is no doubt that the termination has now brought the spotlight down on the Pompeos and while it will not cost Mike Pompeo his job as Secretary of State (Trump only fires disloyal people, not people doing illegal things), it could cost Pompeo a shot at the Senate from Kansas. McConnell has tried to convince Pompeo to run for the Senate from Kansas, because Kansas may go to the Democrat. I doubt the people of Kansas appreciate having civil servants acting like royalty in need of manservants paid by the people of Kansas, and you.

Trump’s firing of Linick as Inspector General has garnered some criticism from Republican senators:

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) offered a mixed assessment of Linick in a statement on Saturday, noting that he had filled the job after the Obama administration left it vacant for several years. “Although he failed to fully evaluate the State Department’s role in advancing the debunked Russian collusion investigation, those shortcomings do not waive the president’s responsibility to provide details to Congress when removing an IG,” Grassley said. “As I’ve said before, Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG’s removal. A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.”

Republican Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins also tweeted their concerns about the ousting Saturday.

As we have written in several articles, Republicans have been looking at polls showing their majority in the Senate to be in trouble. It is leaving Republican senators no choice but to put some distance between themselves and Trump. That “distance” is most likely to show up in easier situations like this, where it is either backing Trump or backing the person investigating whether the Pompeos were using public employees as personal servants.

The leaks are just starting to come in over the weekend, with increasing heat on the Pompeos. This could get interesting.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom