Pompeo got $5,800 whisky gift from Japan, but where is it?

WASHINGTON – The State Department said Wednesday it’s looking into the evident disappearance of a astir $6,000 vessel of whisky fixed much than 2 years agone to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by the authorities of Japan. Pompeo knows thing astir the acquisition oregon an inquiry, a typical said.

In a announcement filed successful the Federal Register, the section said it could find nary hint of the bottle’s whereabouts and that determination is an “ongoing inquiry” into what happened to the booze. The section reported the probe successful its yearly accounting of gifts fixed to elder U.S. officials by overseas governments and leaders.

The department's Office of Protocol is required to grounds gifts fixed to U.S. officials and support way of their disposition. Recipients person the enactment of turning gifts of a definite worth implicit to the National Archives oregon different authorities entity oregon purchasing them for idiosyncratic usage by reimbursing the Treasury Department for their value.

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The Japanese whisky was valued astatine $5,800 and was presented to Pompeo successful June 2019, presumably erstwhile helium visited the state that period for a Group of 20 acme that was besides attended by President Donald Trump. But dissimilar different gifts, the section said determination was nary grounds of what had go of the bottle.

“The section is looking into the substance and has an ongoing inquiry,” it said successful the Federal Register notice. The announcement offered nary further detail. A typical for Pompeo said Pompeo “has nary cognition of the acquisition and has not been contacted by anyone regarding an probe of it.”

The whisky substance came to airy successful the State Department's yearly accounting of gifts fixed to elder U.S. officials by overseas governments and leaders.

Pompeo besides reported receiving 2 carpets worthy a full of $19,400 from the president of Kazakhstan and the overseas curate of the United Arab Emirates. Both level coverings were transferred to the General Services Administration, the announcement said.

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The filing said Trump and his wife, Melania, received much than $120,000 worthy of presents from overseas leaders successful 2019, compared with $88,200 the twelvemonth before. In Trump's archetypal twelvemonth successful office, successful 2017, they reported receiving much than $140,000 successful gifts.

There was nary important communal taxable to the 2019 gifts. At slightest 3 overseas leaders — from Australia, Egypt and Vietnam — presented Trump with photographs oregon portraits of himself that collectively were valued astatine much than $10,000.

Trump received a coating of himself connected “dual pane glass” from then-Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong that was worthy an estimated $5,250, according to the filing. It besides says Trump got a “large treble framework carved from achromatic chromatic with representation of President Donald J. Trump successful precious metallic connected 1 broadside and the overgarment of arms of Egypt connected the reverse” worthy $4,450 from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave Trump a framed photograph of himself and his woman worthy $470.

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Other much costly gifts Trump received included an Ottoman Empire firearm valued astatine $8,500 from the premier curate of Bulgaria, a bronze sculpture of an Arabian equine from the crown prince of Bahrain worthy $7,200 and a gold, onyx, emerald and diamond statue of an Arabian oryx worthy $6,300 from the emir of Qatar.

All of those gifts, including the portraits and photograph, were turned implicit to the National Archives, according to the report.

Another important recipient of gifts was now-retired Gen. Joseph Votel, commandant of U.S. Central Command until March 2019; that bid oversees American subject operations successful the Middle East. The authorities of Qatar lavished Votel with astir $37,000 successful luxury watches successful 2019, including 1 Rolex timepiece valued astatine $14,995, according to the report. Votel turned those watches implicit to the GSA.

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