The State Department’s entire senior-level management staff resigned on Wednesday, The Washington Post reported. Patrick Kennedy, the under-secretary for management, was reportedly aiming to stay with the department, but resigned suddenly on Wednesday along with his top staffers described by the Post as “career foreign service officers.”
Those who left were reportedly career foreign-service officers who’ve served in both Republican and Democratic administrations.
It is unclear at this time why the resignations occurred.
(via The Daily Beast)
UPDATE
Via Josh Rogin at the Washington Post:
[Secretary of State Rex]Tillerson was actually inside the State Department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom on Wednesday, taking meetings and getting the lay of the land. I reported Wednesday morning that the Trump team was narrowing its search for his No. 2, and that it was looking to replace the State Department’s long-serving undersecretary for management, Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, who has been in that job for nine years, was actively involved in the transition and was angling to keep that job under Tillerson, three State Department officials told me.
Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed. Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, followed him out the door.
UPDATE
Via CNN
Top State Department officials were asked to leave by the Trump administration.
This is bad. It allows Trump to staff with his cronies.
ReplyDeleteI believe I recall that Kennedy's name was mentioned as being deeply involved with the Hillary Clinton email scandal! This is a great thing!!! He would've have been a SABOTEUR working on behalf of the Deep State!
ReplyDeleteThe Queen KILLER NEOCON/WARMONGER Victoria "F The EU" was shown the door also! Chalk this one up as a win for the Libertarians like Dr. Walter Block that supported Trump!
ReplyDeleteAnd you think this balances out the four hawkish military generals that Trump has named to more senior positions than Nuland?
DeleteYou are Trump Fanboy delusional.
You said that when Trump did something that was positive you would praise him. You are not living up to your statement on this!
DeleteWhen you use derision YOU LOSE! On this you are a "Nattering Nabob Of Negativisam." William Safire
DeleteI have read that it is standard operating procedure for certain level appointments to submit resignation letters upon new administration taking office. Their letters of resignation were accepted. Also, if/when they are replaced it is usually a few months into the new administration. It appears that it is much ado about nothing.
ReplyDeleteAn unusual number have been accepted though. However this president has to be more concerned about being undermined by permanent government than any we have seen in quite some time.
DeleteIt's not necessarily alarming or a harbinger of bad things to me that there is a higher ratio of acceptance for letters of resignation than usual. And doesn't Lew Rockwell routinely refer to lifetime government employees in unfavorable terms? I don't know if anyone can say with any certainty what this means in the long term. I would question their grasp on things if they did.
DeleteBTW, I hope someone follows up to see where these resignors end up.