State Department watchdog details political retaliation against 'disloyal' staffers

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Top officials in the State Department bureau that deals with international organizations engaged in “disrespectful and hostile treatment” of staffers, including harassing some over suspicions that they were “disloyal” due to their perceived political views, a federal watchdog says.

The findings were contained in a report soon-to-be published by the State Department inspector general’s office.

The report, obtained Thursday by POLITICO, is one of two reports that explore allegations that President Donald Trump’s political appointees retaliated against career State Department employees.

The report singles out the assistant secretary in the international organizations bureau, Kevin Moley, as failing to stop the misbehavior despite numerous complaints. It also contains numerous examples of alleged actions taken by Mari Stull, another senior political appointee in the bureau, who has since left.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/15/state-department-inspector-general-report-political-retaliation-1464586

[Mike 03]

1. I hope this gets coverage

Bad enough that it's in the State Department. What if it's happening in the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Justice? I'm sure it also happens in the EPA and wherever climate scientists work. Let them come forward, go public, get on the news!

[RKP5637]

2. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Midnight Writer]

3. Mulvaney calls this "draining the swamp". Harass carreer employees so they quit.

[ancianita]

4. What dictators do. In a nation of men, whip loyalty, drive out those loyal to a nation of laws.

[FakeNoose]

5. I thought Rex Tillerson fired everybody at the State Dept. over 2 years ago

I'm surprised there's anybody left.

[Mc Mike]

6. How come all his guys talk like C-grade movie nazis?

[soryang]

7. This is pretty common

When someone in a government agency reads or hears a report, opinion or advice or a draft of a proposed policy, rule or adjudication, I think it's easy in some instances to discern the proponent's political drift. It's kind of naive to think this isn't going on all the time with republicans. When a new appointee comes in, then some of the career people almost inevitably get pushed out on false grounds. Only a democrat would feel some kind of ethical responsibility to treat career employees fairly.

The unique factor in this article is how blatant this was. Most of the repuke bureaucratic types used to be too smart to play their hand blatantly. They would always claim merit factors rather than openly berate and act out like the people in the OP.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. The State Department's watchdog issued a scathing report on how Trump appointees treated career....

CrazyInvertedPopehat Retweeted

WOW. This is incredible and disturbing (but not surprising) -- read thread

Link to tweet

The State Department's watchdog issued a scathing report on how Trump appointees treated career State Department employees in the bureau that oversees international organizations

Link to tweet

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In another example, an employee was apparently told by Assistant Secretary they wouldn't hire a foreign affairs officer for a job because Stull didn't trust him due to his relationship w/ UN Palestinian Refugees org & the LGBTI community. A/S Moley denied this characterization:

Link to tweet