# Pompeo Found to Have Violated Ethics Rules. (It's a Start.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 16, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175 "2021-04-16T23:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/1 "2021-04-16T23:59:54Z")
Better late than never. > **[Pompeo violated ethics rules by asking State Dept employees to do personal...](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pompeo-violated-ethics-rules-by-asking-state-dept-employees-do-personal-tasks-2021-04-16/)** > > Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he, and his wife, asked State Department employees to carry out personal tasks more than 100 times, a government watchdog... Pompeo skeeves me almost as much as Trump. He has no business anywhere near any administration. I hope this is just the beginning. Let’s keep looking into those ‘Madison dinners.’ > **[CREW obtains receipts for Pompeo’s notorious “Madison Dinners” - CREW |...](https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/crew-obtains-receipts-for-pompeos-notorious-madison-dinners/)** > > Mike Pompeo spent more than $40,000 in taxpayer money on a series of “Madison Dinners" according to receipts obtained by CREW. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/2 "2021-04-17T00:30:59Z")
This is great to see. And as you say, let’s hope it’s only the beginning. Pompeo’s abuse of his office was out in the open and egregious. (Or perhaps some of it was NOT out in the open. That must be investigated, too.) To the extent the damage Pompeo did at State was _not_ in violation of federal statutes or rules, but still damaged the nation’s interests, the best we can probably hope for is a spotlight on the bad practices. It’s possible that Congress might choose to provide that spotlight, and/or that major news outlets might find it worth their while to examine the Pompeo years at State. I’d like to see some memoirs by people in the know, too. Pompeo nurses mighty ambitions of dominion over the USA. We’d all be better off with a multi-pronged effort to hold him accountable for his malfeasance. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/3 "2021-04-17T00:40:29Z")
We share the exact same fears about him getting more power. He is a scary, corrupt dude who believes he is working as the hand of his god, no problems bending the rules – and even outright breaking them – so long as it is in service of his goals. I think of him and Mike Huckabee as being cut from identical cloth. Creeps, creeps, creeps. I was so pleased to see the OIG’s report finally published. I like your thoughts about personal memoirs by others at State who endured his tenure. Bet there could be some important insights there. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/4 "2021-04-17T13:34:14Z")
He’s just establishing his Republican credentials before he runs for president in 2024. > **[Pompeo teases 2024 run: ‘I’m always up for a good fight’](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/04/pompeo-2024-run-473606)** > > The former secretary of State was one of several Republican White House hopefuls to speak at CPAC last week. Having a financial, work-related, or sexual scandal-- or at least some kind of investigation/inquiry, FFS-- on your resume is a requirement for any Pubbie candidate, isn’t it? Being ethical or, God forbid, squeaky-clean is an automatic disqualifier. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/5 "2021-04-17T13:52:36Z")
Does anyone else remember when Trump told everyone it was OK for Pompeo to use government employees to perform personal tasks because he (Pompeo) was a “high-quality person”. > **[Trump on Pompeo: I’d rather have him working than doing dishes ‘because maybe...](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/498403-trump-on-pompeo-id-rather-have-him-working-than-doing-dishes-because/)** > > President Trump responded Monday to criticism of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recommendation that Trump fire a State Department inspector general (IG) who was investigating Pomp… ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/6 "2021-04-17T14:20:40Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Having a financial, work-related, or sexual scandal-- or at least some kind of investigation/inquiry, FFS-- on your resume is a requirement for any Pubbie candidate, isn’t it? Being ethical or, God forbid, squeaky-clean is an automatic disqualifier. I know you meant to be sarcastic, but that actually kind of makes sense. Given how much the Republican platform these days is devoted to championing the right to be an unrepentant douchebag without suffering any consequences, having a squeaky clean candidate would just confuse that message. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/7 "2021-04-17T16:32:51Z")
Pompeo’s skirting - if not outright flouting - government rules was blatantly obvious to any government employee. Not sure if I should be more shocked that it took this long or that SOMETHING was done. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/8 "2021-04-17T17:04:40Z")
Ahh the Trump “administration”! I remember it well. The swamp overfloweth! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/9 "2021-04-17T17:05:40Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Pompeo’s skirting - if not outright flouting - government rules was blatantly obvious to any government employee. It was. Probably why Pompeo had Trump fire the first IG who was investigating him. [https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/10/politics/linick-congress-transcript-state-dept/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/10/politics/linick-congress-transcript-state-dept/index.html) In the original article I cited, it noted that the OIG’s investigation was substantially completed in August of 2020, but they had been unable to get Pompeo to comply with their requests to explain himself. It didn’t happen until the Biden administration was in place. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pompeo-found-to-have-violated-ethics-rules-its-a-start/940175/10 "2021-04-17T23:53:07Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > He is a scary, corrupt dude who believes he is working as the hand of his god, no problems bending the rules – and even outright breaking them – so long as it is in service of his goals. I think of him and Mike Huckabee as being cut from identical cloth. Creeps, creeps, creeps. All bullies are repellant, but righteous bullies are the _most_ repulsive. (And dangerous.)