Management Assistance Report: Representational Travel by the Spouse of the Secretary of State

Summary of Review
In October 2019, the Office of Inspector General received a whistleblower complaint related to travel by the spouse of the Secretary of State that the Department of State (Department) considered official travel. To investigate this complaint, OIG requested and reviewed documentation related to official representational family travel by Susan Pompeo. Generally, Department policy permits such travel by relatives of Department officials for appropriate representational purposes. However, both Department guidance and principles of internal control require documentation of both the official purpose and the approval of the travel. Federal ethics rules prohibit the Secretary from approving the travel himself.¹

The Secretary’s spouse took eight trips that were declared official between April 2018 and April 2020. Of the eight trips, OIG found documentation of an authorized purpose for all eight trips, but only found written approval for two of the trips. Of the remaining six trips, the Under Secretary for Management told OIG that he verbally approved four of the trips but did not document his approval. There is no indication of approval for the remaining two trips. OIG recommends that in order to ensure that the Department has appropriate documentation for internal control and recordkeeping purposes, the Office of the Secretary seek and gain written approval for all representational travel, and that the Under Secretary for Management or other authorizing official document in writing the approval for all representational trips by any family members. The Department concurred with these recommendations.

_{1. 11 FAM 612.1 (September 3, 2015)}