WASHINGTON: The State Division mentioned Wednesday it is wanting into the obvious disappearance of a virtually $6,000 bottle of whisky given greater than two years in the past to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by the federal government of Japan. Pompeo is aware of nothing concerning the reward or an inquiry, a consultant mentioned.
In a discover filed within the Federal Register, the division mentioned it may discover no hint of the bottle’s whereabouts and that there’s an “ongoing inquiry” into what occurred to the booze. The division reported the investigation in its annual accounting of items given to senior US officers by overseas governments and leaders.
The division’s Workplace of Protocol is required to report items given to US officers and preserve monitor of their disposition. Recipients have the choice of turning items of a sure worth over to the Nationwide Archives or one other authorities entity or buying them for private use by reimbursing the Treasury Division for his or her worth.
The Japanese whisky was valued at $5,800 and was offered to Pompeo in June 2019, presumably when he visited the nation that month for a Group of 20 summit that was additionally attended by President Donald Trump. However not like different items, the division mentioned there was no report of what had develop into of the bottle.
“The division is wanting into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry,” it mentioned within the Federal Register discover. The discover provided no extra element. A consultant for Pompeo mentioned Pompeo “has no data of the reward and has not been contacted by anybody relating to an investigation of it.”
Pompeo additionally reported receiving two carpets value a complete of $19,400 from the president of Kazakhstan and the overseas minister of the United Arab Emirates. Each ground coverings have been transferred to the Normal Companies Administration, the discover mentioned.
The submitting mentioned Trump and his spouse, Melania, obtained greater than $120,000 value of presents from overseas leaders in 2019, in contrast with $88,200 the 12 months earlier than. In Trump’s first 12 months in workplace, in 2017, they reported receiving greater than $140,000 in items.
There was no important widespread theme to the 2019 items. A minimum of three overseas leaders – from Australia, Egypt and Vietnam – offered Trump with images or portraits of himself that collectively have been valued at greater than $10,000.
Trump obtained a portray of himself on “twin pane glass” from then-Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong that was value an estimated $5,250, in keeping with the submitting. It additionally says Trump acquired a “giant double body carved from black stone with picture of President Donald J Trump in treasured steel on one aspect and the coat of arms of Egypt on the reverse” value $4,450 from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave Trump a framed picture of himself and his spouse value $470.
Different costlier items Trump obtained included an Ottoman Empire rifle valued at $8,500 from the prime minister of Bulgaria, a bronze sculpture of an Arabian horse from the crown prince of Bahrain value $7,200 and a gold, onyx, emerald and diamond statue of an Arabian oryx value $6,300 from the emir of Qatar.
All of these items, together with the portraits and {photograph}, have been turned over to the Nationwide Archives, in keeping with the report.
One other important recipient of items was now-retired Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command till March 2019; that command oversees American navy operations within the Center East. The federal government of Qatar lavished Votel with almost $37,000 in luxurious watches in 2019, together with one Rolex timepiece valued at $14,995, in keeping with the report. Votel turned these watches over to the GSA.
In a discover filed within the Federal Register, the division mentioned it may discover no hint of the bottle’s whereabouts and that there’s an “ongoing inquiry” into what occurred to the booze. The division reported the investigation in its annual accounting of items given to senior US officers by overseas governments and leaders.
The division’s Workplace of Protocol is required to report items given to US officers and preserve monitor of their disposition. Recipients have the choice of turning items of a sure worth over to the Nationwide Archives or one other authorities entity or buying them for private use by reimbursing the Treasury Division for his or her worth.
The Japanese whisky was valued at $5,800 and was offered to Pompeo in June 2019, presumably when he visited the nation that month for a Group of 20 summit that was additionally attended by President Donald Trump. However not like different items, the division mentioned there was no report of what had develop into of the bottle.
“The division is wanting into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry,” it mentioned within the Federal Register discover. The discover provided no extra element. A consultant for Pompeo mentioned Pompeo “has no data of the reward and has not been contacted by anybody relating to an investigation of it.”
Pompeo additionally reported receiving two carpets value a complete of $19,400 from the president of Kazakhstan and the overseas minister of the United Arab Emirates. Each ground coverings have been transferred to the Normal Companies Administration, the discover mentioned.
The submitting mentioned Trump and his spouse, Melania, obtained greater than $120,000 value of presents from overseas leaders in 2019, in contrast with $88,200 the 12 months earlier than. In Trump’s first 12 months in workplace, in 2017, they reported receiving greater than $140,000 in items.
There was no important widespread theme to the 2019 items. A minimum of three overseas leaders – from Australia, Egypt and Vietnam – offered Trump with images or portraits of himself that collectively have been valued at greater than $10,000.
Trump obtained a portray of himself on “twin pane glass” from then-Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong that was value an estimated $5,250, in keeping with the submitting. It additionally says Trump acquired a “giant double body carved from black stone with picture of President Donald J Trump in treasured steel on one aspect and the coat of arms of Egypt on the reverse” value $4,450 from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave Trump a framed picture of himself and his spouse value $470.
Different costlier items Trump obtained included an Ottoman Empire rifle valued at $8,500 from the prime minister of Bulgaria, a bronze sculpture of an Arabian horse from the crown prince of Bahrain value $7,200 and a gold, onyx, emerald and diamond statue of an Arabian oryx value $6,300 from the emir of Qatar.
All of these items, together with the portraits and {photograph}, have been turned over to the Nationwide Archives, in keeping with the report.
One other important recipient of items was now-retired Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command till March 2019; that command oversees American navy operations within the Center East. The federal government of Qatar lavished Votel with almost $37,000 in luxurious watches in 2019, together with one Rolex timepiece valued at $14,995, in keeping with the report. Votel turned these watches over to the GSA.