Susan Pompeo, already under scrutiny, will join husband on official State Department trip to Europe

WASHINGTON — Susan Pompeo will join her husband, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on an official trip to Europe this week while she is already under scrutiny over her use of federal resources.

The State Department confirmed that she would be on the trip, which was set to begin Monday.

Despite having no official State Department position, Susan Pompeo has nevertheless requested and will be accompanied by personal control officers – U.S. Embassy officials who will organize her travel and tend to her needs – during her time in each of the four nations she is set to visit, according to a person with knowledge of the trip’s planning.

Susan Pompeo’s travel plans, revealed as most Americans remain largely barred from traveling to Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic, mark the latest instance of her involvement in her husband’s official government duties. Her attendance could draw increased scrutiny toward her use of federal resources, which previously sparked an investigation by a State Department internal watchdog.

The State Department on Monday said ethics and legal advisors cleared Susan Pompeo’s participation in the European trip.

“The State Department’s legal and ethics team determined that Mrs. Pompeo’s role on this trip will advance our country’s foreign policy goals,” a State Department spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC.

“Mrs. Pompeo provides tremendous lift to our diplomatic mission by meeting with spouses of new foreign service officers, speaking to families headed overseas for first-time assignments, and making sure that foreign diplomats and their spouses are always treated with kindness and warmth, reflecting the finest tradition of America.”

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/10/mike-pompeo-wife-susan-will-join-him-on-trip-to-europe-amid-travel-cost-probe.html