President Donald Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick Friday evening, making him the latest government official to be removed from his post, The Hill reported.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that Ambassador Stephen Akard, a former career Foreign Service officer, will replace Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 by then-President Obama.
“On Sept. 11, 2019, Ambassador Akard was confirmed by the Senate, 90-2, to lead the Department’s Office of Foreign Missions and we look forward to him leading the Office of the Inspector General,” the spokesperson said.
Linick, whose ouster was first reported by Politico, played a small role in President Trump’s impeachment, providing documents to lawmakers that had been handed over to the State Department by Rudy Giuliani, the President’s personal lawyer.
“As is the case with regard to other positions where I, as President, have the power of appointment, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspector General. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General,” Trump wrote in a letter to congressional leaders.
Before joining the Trump administration, Akard served as chief of staff for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation under then-governor Mike Pence. He’s also served as special assistant in the Executive Secretariat, a political officer, and worked in the embassy in Brussels and consulate in Mumbai since joining the State Department.
It is unclear how the shakeup will impact work at the State Department, which has been known to face deep moral issues since Trump took office.
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