‘DISLOYAL’

State Department IG: Trump Appointee Branded Career Employees ‘Traitors,’ Part of ‘Deep State’

The State Department appointee said certain employees were “Obama holdovers,” and said one was trying to “thwart” Trump’s agenda.

A political appointee and an assistant secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs accused career employees of being “disloyal” based on their perceived political views, according to a report from the agency’s Office of Inspector General.

A number of employees told the OIG the political appointee, Mari Stull, and Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kevin Moley made comments based on what they judged to be the employee’s political leanings. Stull allegedly referred to some employees as “Obama holdovers” and “traitors” and would accuse others of taking part in the “Deep State,” according to the report. Moley also said employees were “undermining the President’s agenda.”

When a career employee accompanied a group of members from the Congressional Black Caucus to the United Nations, which is one of her assigned duties, Stull claimed the employee was attempting to “thwart” the president and his agenda because the group only consisted of Democratic members. The employee said many of her responsibilities were taken away after the trip.

Moley told the OIG that he only heard Stull make such remarks in reference to former political appointees who she believed were converted to career employees in the department. In the report, the OIG concluded that such behavior contributed to “serious morale problems” and led to a “significant number of career staff” leaving.