Turns out Rex Tillerson’s tenure was even more calamitous than we thought
House Democrats have written a letter of concern to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly as well as to the acting Secretary Of State John Sullivan. In it, they raise their shock and concern at the decimation of staff and protocols under Rex Tillerson’s tenure, which came to light from whistleblower accounts of continuous strategic purging of government employees. Career civil servants who were viewed as not “sufficiently supportive” of Donald Trump’s agenda were labeled as a turncoat, leaker, or a troublemaker, and of course Obama/Clinton loyalists – and forced out.
Democrats claim the whistleblower turned over a vast amount of sensitive and explosive documentation revealing an organized effort by some White House officials and Rex Tillerson’s staff, working for a network of conservative activists including Newt Gingrich, who organized this massive “cleaning of the house” of career employees. The State Department is operating now with a ghost crew. Many longtime dedicated civil servants have resigned, some with protest, some quietly.
This new information indicates Trump’s vicious and intense insecurity about loyalty within “his” government, particularly in the State Department.
On many occasions, Trump and his talking heads have suggested the existence of the so called “deep state” focused on undermining his agenda.
The paranoia may have caught up with Trump this time, and as the Democrats’ letter asserts, these coordinated Republican actions may have violated federal laws protecting federal employees from unjust political influence.
“Over the year we have heard many reports of political attacks on career employees at the State Department, but we had not seen evidence of how extensive, blunt, and inappropriate these attacks were until now,” congressmen Elijah Cummings and Eliot Engel state in their letter dated March 15. The Congressman also demanded to see documents and communications between a list of White House officials and the State Department for further investigation.
This Soviet-like purge has left a massive hole at the center of U.S. diplomacy. The incoming Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is facing criticism for his foreign policy views and may be in for difficult confirmation hearings ,while key posts within the department remain empty, leaving the United States exposed or represented by unqualified political appointees playing a dangerous game of “know nothing” diplomacy.
Departed diplomats and career civil servants have voiced their dismay at the estrangement, and have made their feelings known to members of Congress who now raise questions about the impact of their departures.
Marilyn is an immigrant, artist, painter and writer, passionate advocate for equality and human rights. Loves history, politics and travel. Resident of Colorado.