Japan’s pricey whisky gift to Pompeo still missing

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog says that a missing $6,000 bottle of Japanese whisky given to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remains unaccounted for. It also says the “gift vault” in which presents given to senior U.S. officials are stored was in “a state of disarray” when the Biden administration took office in January. In a report released on Thursday, the State Department’s inspector general says it has been unable to locate the bottle of Suntory Hibiki whisky that Pompeo was gifted, along with a 22-karat gold commemorative coin worth $560. The items were reported missing in August. At the time, a Pompeo representative said the former secretary knew nothing about the gift.