Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on news reports that senior State Department officials prevented the Diplomatic Security Service from conducting investigations into allegations of administrative and criminal misconduct within the Department:

“I am appalled not only at the reported misconduct itself, but at the reported interference in the investigations of the misconduct.  The notion that any or all of the cases contained in news reports would not be investigated thoroughly by the Department is unthinkable.  Department interference with the independence of any DSS investigations must be uncovered.  I have asked my staff to begin an investigation into these allegations and intend to raise the issue with Secretary Kerry immediately.”

Note:  In February, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) called on Secretary Kerry to urge President Obama to promptly nominate a permanent Inspector General for the State Department, a position that has remained vacant for nearly 2,000 days.

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