Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deemed it necessary to let go of a top official at the State Department.
It has been revealed by insiders that Pompeo has fired Kiron Skinner, whom he once described as “a national security powerhouse,” just one year after she was made the director of policy planning and, apparently, it all had to do with “her behavior.”
The cause
According to Politico, which first reported the firing citing two unnamed sources, Skinner’s management style was to blame.
She is claimed to have been abusive toward her staff by yelling at and threatening them, to have been overly controlling of communications, to have accused people of having affairs, and even to have made homophobic remarks. Skinner’s ouster was said to have occurred after multiple staffers pledged to leave their jobs if she remained in hers. Whether or not these specifics are true remains unclear as Pompeo has yet to publicly address the matter.
An anonymous “source familiar with the circumstances,” however, speaking with the Washington Examiner, does seem to support Politico’s sources, although the unnamed individual largely stuck to generalities.
“She was hurting the mission of that particular division, and of the department, and so she had to be let go,” the source said. “This all had to do with her behavior as a manager, and how she got along with members of a team, and things she did — to her own subordinates — which would get you fired from almost any job.”
Controversial move
However, others cited by the Washington Examiner report dismissed such accusations about Skinner’s behavior.
“It’s laughable that unnamed sources would claim that she was abusive to staff,” a former administration official is quoted as saying. “Anyone who had worked with her knows that she’s a calm and deliberate thinker. Moreover, it’s offensive that anyone would make an ‘angry black woman’ argument to push her out.” Former Secretary of State George Schultz lamented her departure, calling Skinner “a first-class scholar” known to follow “principles of honesty and integrity.”
Another anonymous source believes that Skinner’s firing was part of a larger trend considering that she is the third State Department official to be fired this summer.
“They’ve been pushing people out in a very ugly and dishonest way that permanently damages their reputations,” he said. “It’s what people say to try to hurt someone. She is not homophobic.”
What now?
With the conflicting reports, all we really know for sure is that Skinner’s firing is the result of an investigation conducted by Pompeo.
Now, there is a key vacancy at the State Department, and all eyes will be on who fills it.
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