US govt searches for missing $5,800 Japanese whisky gift to Pompeo

Government officials can keep gifts worth less than $390, but must buy anything above that value

A lawyer for Mike Pompeo said the former US secretary of state had no knowledge about the fate of the missing whiskey bottle. Mike Pompeo

The US government is looking into what happened to a $5,800 bottle of whisky given by Japan to former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, but which is now apparently missing, US media reported Wednesday.

Japanese officials gave the bottle to the State Department on June 24, 2019, the New York Times reported, noting Mr Pompeo was on a visit to Saudi Arabia at the time. It was not clear if he received the gift himself.

US government officials are entitled to keep gifts worth less than $390, but must buy anything above that value.

The Times quoted unnamed officials as saying the government was never paid for the missing bottle of liquor.

The newspaper added it was unusual for the State Department to declare publicly the whereabouts of an item are unknown.

A lawyer for Mr Pompeo said the former secretary of state, who had also served as CIA chief, had no knowledge about the fate of the missing bottle.