⁍ President Donald Trump fired then-Inspector General Steve Linick in May.

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⁍ Linick was the fourth government inspector general ousted by the Republican president in recent months.

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⁍ Official: Inspector General’s final report found no wrongdoing in Pompeo’s execution of the administration’s decision to declare a ‘national emergency’ to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia.

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– Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s declaration of a “national emergency” to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia did not break the law, a senior State Department official says. The official tells Reuters that a final report by the office of the State Department Acting Inspector General found no wrongdoing in Pompeo’s execution of the administration’s decision to declare a ‘national emergency’ to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia despite congressional objections. President Trump abruptly fired the department’s inspector general, Steve Linick, in May as he was looking into Pompeo’s certification. Linick was succeeded by Stephen Akard, who resigned from his post last week after recusing himself from the arms sales investigation. The final report was completed by Akard’s deputy, Diana Shaw. Linick was the fourth government inspector general ousted by the Republican president in recent months, raising concern among Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans about curtailment of oversight. The department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Inspector General’s final report found no wrongdoing in Pompeo’s execution of the administration’s decision to declare a ‘national emergency’ to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia despite congressional objections.