Ethics watchdogs slam Mike Pompeo for using a State Department-paid trip to Jerusalem to film his unprecedented Republican convention speech

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In an unprecedented and widely condemned move, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will appear at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday during an official taxpayer-funded trip to the Middle East.

Ethics experts say Pompeo's address is likely a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities in their official positions.

Pompeo himself warned State Department employees in a cable last month that all Department employees including political appointees are barred from partisan activity "even on personal time."

Pompeo, who considered a run for Senate in Kansas while serving in Trump's administration, has a long and unusual history of engaging in political activities while serving as secretary of state.

Ethics groups have also condemned the president and the first lady's use of the White House as the setting for their convention appearances this week.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will appear at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night in a video he filmed on a taxpayer-funded State Department trip to the Middle East a move ethics experts say is a clear violation of federal laws.

A federal law, known as the Hatch Act, bars federal employees excluding the president from engaging in any political activities, including campaigning, in their official capacities. It's unprecedented for a sitting secretary of state to deliver a partisan speech while conducting official state business abroad. See the rest of the story at Business InsiderNOW WATCH: July 15 is Tax Day here's what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first timeSee Also:Nikki Haley denounces Biden and calls for 4 more years of Trump during RNC speechGun-toting St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey exploit white fear and grievances in RNC speech by claiming Democrats will bring 'crime and lawlessness' into 'thriving' suburban neighborhoodsThe virtual convention format played to the Democrats' message discipline and could be disastrous for Trump's off-the-cuff styleSEE ALSO: Pompeo reportedly privately met with big Republican donors at taxpayer expense while on official State Department trips

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