State Department adviser snooping on staff to vet their Trump loyalty
A recent State Department hire is vetting employees at the agency to ensure their private, personal loyalty to Trump.
A recently hired senior adviser at the State Department, Mari Stull, is now conducting a personal campaign at taxpayer expense to weed out staff based on their loyalty to Trump.
Stull’s credentials include writing about wine using the name “Vino Vixen” and past work at a right-wing think tank called the American Opportunity Foundation.
In her current position at the State Department, Stull is reportedly reviewing the social media accounts of employees “for signs of ideological deviation.”
A source told Foreign Policy, “She is actively making lists and gathering intel.”
Stull is also checking to see if any current staff signed off on policies enacted under President Barack Obama, even though such sign-offs were not endorsements of policy.
And she is probing employees at other organizations, like the World Health Organization and the United Nations, under similar auspices.
This type obsessive vetting of staff for is unsettling to many, given the State Department has traditionally been effective through its use of non-partisan, career civil servants whose loyalty lies with the United States, not just one president.
Foreign Policy reports it’s unclear whether Stull is conducting the vetting on behalf of the Trump administration or working as an independent operator.
In either case, the aggressive behavior has disturbed enough people that the outlet notes three senior officials are headed out of government service to get away from the pro-Trump paranoia.
“Loyalty” has been one of Trump’s obsessions and a major motivator behind his abnormal behavior.
He demanded loyalty from then-FBI director James Comey, before firing the official who would not publicly clear him in the Russia scandal.
Trump has also openly advocated against fellow Republicans who did not show him sufficient loyalty.
Not only is the State Department understaffed and unable to properly fulfill its diplomatic mission, but now career employees have a zealot in their midst who’s focused on purging them based on perceived loyalty.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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