Mike Pompeo Spent $10,000 Of Taxpayers' Money On Pens He Gave Out At Party

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent more than $10,000 of taxpayer’s money on party favors for guests who attended the extravagant private dinners he hosted at the U.S. State Department throughout his term.

The State Department on Jan. 29 released records that show Pompeo used the money to buy 400 specially embossed pens from China for his "Madison Dinner" guests. Each pen costs an average of $26, as first reported Thursday by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

In 2018, several unidentified State Department employees hired a Florida-based vendor to design souvenirs for Mike and Susan Pompeo’s Madison Dinners. Documents also showed that State Department staffers discussed colors, etchings and emblems for the pens.

Madden Branded Goods, the vendor, advised Pompeo’s staffers that the pens would likely take time to be delivered as they were “made in China.”

CREW noted that Pompeo has constantly blasted China for “trade abuses” even as he was buying the 400 embossed pens. In a tweet Thursday, he urged the American government to focus on protecting the country and “remain tough on China.”

“We shouldn’t worry about hurting General Secretary Xi’s feelings,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter. “We should focus on protecting the American people and championing American values. We must remain tough on China.”

Many have criticized Pompeo for taking his toughness on China a bit too far, like when he called the novel coronavirus “the Wuhan virus.”

Pompeo, nevertheless, did raise important concerns about China’s potential human rights violations against Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.

“I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state,” Pompeo said in a now-deleted statement.

Pompeo's elite Madison Dinners were named in honor of James Madison, the United States' fourth president and fifth secretary of state, who was known for hosting foreign diplomats for dinner, NBC News noted.

But there's a big difference between the exclusive dinners Pompeo hosted, which were paid for by State Department funds, and those hosted by President Madison back in the day.

"Madison certainly paid his own entertainment expenses," Kevin Gutzman, a professor at Western Connecticut State University who wrote a biography of Madison, pointed out.

The former state secretary has been the subject of widespread criticism for the possible misuse of official government funds for his personal benefit. In addition to the 400 pens, CREW also found that taxpayers’ money was used to foot an estimated $40,000 for expenses related to his Madison Dinners.

Records show that official State Department funds were also used to pay a few thousand dollars for food and beverage items, condolence book paper, Madison Dinner tour tickets and private contractors to help operate the elevators for the guests.