Did US State Department Cover Up Misconduct?
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Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — ABC News has obtained a draft report by the inspector general alleging a number of crimes by State Department workers abroad. The draft accuses department officials of interference, but those claims were dropped in the final report.
Documents obtained by ABC News suggest investigators were blocked from looking into Diplomatic Security officers who allegedly hired prostitutes overseas. And memos detail an even more explosive charge — that a top official in Washington quashed an investigation into a U.S. ambassador who ditched his security detail to look for prostitutes, some underage.
During Monday’s press briefing, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki insisted there were no attempts to cover up any crimes:
“The notion that we would not vigorously pursue criminal misconduct in a case, in any case is preposterous and we’ve put individuals behind bars for criminal behavior. There is record of that. Ambassadors would be no exception.”
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