The U.S. State Department is investigating a missing whiskey bottle worth $5,800. The bottle was given to Mike Pompeo, the former Secretary of State by the Japanese government. Read to know what happened to the pricey bottle of alcohol.
Mike Pompeo and the $5,800 whiskey
Nearly two years ago, the expensive bottle of alcohol was given to Mike Pompeo, who was the U.S. Secretary of State by the Japanese government. However, according to a notice filed by the department in the federal register, it could not trace the bottle’s location. Hence, the leading to inquiry for the bottle of booze. The alcohol valued at $5,800 was gifted in June 2019, when Pompeo visited Japan. President Donald Trump was also a part of the 20 summits. Around the same time, Pompeo also got two carpets worth over $19,000 from the foreign minister of UAE and the Kazakhstani president. According to the notice, they were transferred for safekeeping to the General Services Administration.
The missing status of the bottle was reported during the annual accounting of gifts given by foreign governments. As per official US protocol, all gifts accepted by US officials must be recorded. However, the recipients can hand gifts above a certain value to a government entity such as the National Archives or purchase and use them personally. However, unlike other presents, the US registry does not know the whereabouts of this bottle. “The department is looking into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry,” stated the official notice filed by the federal register.
Some of the expensive gifts received during the Trump administration
The filings also highlight several expensive gifts presented to government officials. Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, accepted presents worth over $88,000 and $120,000 in 2018 and 2019. Out of them, foreign leaders from Egypt, Vietnam, and Australia gifted him with portraits of himself which are collectively estimated at over $10,000.
Additionally, he also received expensive gifts such as a rifle belonging to the Ottoman Empire worth $8,500 from the Bulgarian Prime Minister. Some other prized possessions include an onyx, gold, and a diamond statue of an Arabian oryx from the emir of Qatar, valued at $6,300, and an Arabian horse worth over $7,000.