House Chairman Demands Briefing on Kushner's Trip to Saudi Arabia

[babylonsister]

House Chairman Demands Briefing on Kushner’s Trip to Saudi Arabia

Chairman Engel’s request comes after reports that key U.S. officials were kept out of meetings with the Saudis.
Erin Banco
03.28.19 2:39 PM ET


A key House committee is demanding a briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Jared Kushner’s trip to Saudi Arabia last month that included a senior State Department official but otherwise left American diplomats in the dark.

In a letter sent Thursday, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) expressed concern that embassy staff were reportedly sidelined from participating in the meetings on that trip, including those with the Royal Court and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

“U.S. government resources are expended to support embassies in countries around the world to aid in the planning and execution of U.S. foreign policy, and no official visit to the Middle East by a senior White House aide would presumably bear meaningfully on the conduct of U.S. foreign policy in that region,” he wrote, adding that he wanted a briefing no later than April 5.

The briefing, he said, should also provide details of any foreign trips or overseas meetings between senior White House officials and foreign leaders in the Middle East.

The congressman is seeking detailed documents from the February trip, including aircraft manifests, clearance records for each person who traveled, invoices and expense reports, and records relating to the State Department’s participation in the trip.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-foreign-affairs-committee-chairman-eliot-engel-demands-briefing-on-kushner-trip-to-saudi-arabia?ref=home

[Leghorn21]

1. YES

Hang tough, Dems

[2naSalit]

3. Good...nt