Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, left, gives flowers to Susan Pompeo as she and her husband, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, arrive at Tbilisi International Airport in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)WASHINGTON – The State Department said Thursday that a report by its independent watchdog has concluded that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s wife did not violate federal regulations or ethics rules by traveling abroad with her husband while he was on official business.
Susan Pompeo had attracted criticism for accompanying her husband on diplomatic trips abroad, beginning with a Middle East tour in 2018 that took place during the federal government shutdown.
Secretary Pompeo has previously defended his wife's presence on his international trips by noting that she does work with diplomats’ families and is a “force multiplier” in boosting morale at overseas posts.
The State Department said the inspector general had cleared her of any impropriety or misuse of taxpayer money on that Mideast trip and seven others she made with her husband.