He would not be doing this without Pompeo’s permission.
Good point.
He would not be doing this without Pompeo’s permission
independent office within the U.S. Department of State
That is my first take. It would be a direct betrayal of Pompeo, and you don't telegraph such betrayals. Pompeo likely knows what this is about.
Not certain that he the IG works under the SecState authority. I think the Inspectors General Act makes the IG’s answerable to Congress, not the Agency head.
Why not? ICIG Atkinson went against DNI Maguire. IG is police, watchdog, antagonist looking for trouble in the department. IG has latitude to choose loyalties. I think the better assumption, just playing the odds, is this is a hit job against Trump, maybe against Trump and Pompeo.
No the IG is “independent” at least in the sense that he is only obligated to the political officers who appointed him in this case Holder. He would not feel compelled to even tell a Republican Secretary of State what he was up to. Heck firing him would probably be an impeachable offense under this congress.