Department of State
289 Articles
IG Falls Short of Justice in Investigating Political Retaliation at the State Department
The State Department IG report provides a cautionary tale and counsels us all to pay close attention to investigative methods before believing an IG’s conclusions.
Highlights of Taylor-Kent Hearing and Connections to Other Witnesses
Key takeaways from the first day of public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry, with crucial insights from top experts on Ukraine, congressional oversight, and rule of law.
A Dozen Questions for Mike Pompeo
Twelve questions for Congress and the news media to ask Secretary Pompeo as Ukraine scandal unfolds.
Know Your Rights: Conversations with Congress
Federal employees have the right to communicate with Congress free from intimidation, bullying and unfair harassment.
Pompeo’s Letter Is the Trump Administration’s Opening Salvo of Obstruction
The Trump administration now seems to be reverting to its previous strategy of total obstruction based on maximalist interpretations of executive authority.
What’s the New Terror Financing Executive Order All About?
Last week, the Trump administration updated E.O. 13224 to expand both State and Treasury’s ability to wield sanctions against terrorists. What are the practical implications…
Protections Fall for Vietnamese Immigrants as Trump Pushes Deportations
The Trump administration has reinterpreted a 2008 agreement with Vietnam in multiple ways to expand the categories of refugees it can deport. The effort appears to have affected…
The Missing State Department Memo on US Officials’ Possible Aiding and Abetting Saudi War Crimes
Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to consider dueling bills on Saudi Arabia. A bill sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), would block arms sales to the…
Trump’s “Unalienable Rights” Commission Likely to Promote Anti-Rights Agenda
On Monday, we learned who would be serving on the State Department's new "Commission on Unalienable Rights." The track records of the chair and the other members raise even further…
Self-Defense in International Law: What Level of Evidence?
With the question of whether Iran's actions justify the use of force, the issue of evidence is once again at the forefront of international debate. So, how much evidence does a…
Marik String Appointment as State Department’s Top Lawyer Raises Questions
As a former senior State Department official put it, “The idea that someone so few years out of law school, and not even practicing law for all that time, is in the office occupied…
An “Emergency” Arms Deal: Will Congress Acquiesce in Another Blow to Its Authority?
If Congress can’t stand up to protect its own prerogatives on arms sales, then its chances of being heard on anything else will be permanently diminished.