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In a notice posted to the Federal Register, the whereabouts of a $5,800 bottle of whiskey gifted by the government of Japan in 2019 is listed as “pending,” though it is unclear if Pompeo ever took possession of the gift.
According to a New York Times report, Pompeo, age 57, was in Saudi Arabia the day the gift is said to have been given to him, though he traveled to Japan a week later.
Presently, the State Department says it is “looking into the matter and have an ongoing inquiry” into the location of the bottle.
The department’s protocol is to record gifts given to US officials and keep track of them, as officials are not permitted to accept personal gifts from foreign governments.
Recipients then have the option of turning gifts of a certain value over to the National Archives or another government entity or purchasing them for personal use by reimbursing the treasury department for their value.
Pompeo has come under fire since his time as Secretary of State, with an inspector general inquiry determining that his wife, Susan Pompeo, misused State Department staff for personal matters.
The former congressman, a potential presidential candidate in the 2024 election, has recently been making the rounds across the country to promote Republican candidates, including multiple trips to perceived key and swing states.
In statements released to media, Pompeo’s attorney, William Burck, said that the former secretary of state is unaware of where the whiskey wound up.
“Pompeo has no idea what the disposition was of this bottle of whiskey,” he stated. "Mr. Pompeo has no recollection of receiving the bottle of whiskey and does not have any knowledge of what happened to it. He is also unaware of any inquiry into its whereabouts.”
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