State Department

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The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Podcast Bonus Edition: Marie Yovanovitch vs The Committee with No Bull

Elena Kagan Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 11:04 PM

Former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified before the House Intelligence Committee as a part of the impeachment investigation. Yovanovitch answered questions about her career, her experience in Ukraine and her abrupt dismissal. The hearing saw some of the same grandstanding and distractions as the first public hearing, But we cut out all the unnecessary repetition and theatrics to leave you with just the questions and answers that you need to hear.

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The Ukraine Connection

New Ukraine Transcripts Released for Gordon Sondland and Kurt Volker

Jacob Schulz Tue, Nov 5, 2019, 1:59 PM

The House committees tasked with conducting the impeachment inquiry have released new transcripts from the closed-door depositions witnesses in the inquiry. Today, Nov. 11, the committees released the transcripts of the testimony given by Gordon Sondland, U.S.

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The Ukraine Connection

The Volker Texts: What Quid Pro Quo Looks Like

Scott R. Anderson, Margaret Taylor Fri, Oct 4, 2019, 4:14 PM

The more information becomes public about L’Affaire Ukrainienne, the wider and deeper the controversy becomes. Late on Oct. 3, Congress released perhaps the most damning information yet: excerpts from a trove of encrypted text messages provided by former Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker as part of his closed testimony earlier that day before those House committees leading the impeachment inquiry.

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The Ukraine Connection

House Chairmen Subpoena Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Jacob Schulz Sat, Sep 28, 2019, 1:16 PM

The chairmen of the three House committees—Oversight and Reform, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence—issued a subpeona to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to produce documents related to the Trump administration's interractions with officials associated with the Ukrainian government.

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security assistance

Disappearing Transparency in U.S. Arms Sales

Christina Arabia Mon, Jul 15, 2019, 3:23 PM

In the nearly two decades since 9/11, the United States has increasingly relied on security assistance programs to train, advise and equip foreign military and police forces in an effort to fight threats before they reach the United States.

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Iran

Parsing the State Department’s Letter on the Use of Force Against Iran

Scott R. Anderson Wed, Jul 3, 2019, 7:54 AM

Recent tensions between the United States and Iran have led many members of Congress to speculate about what legal authority the Trump administration may claim it has to go to war without congressional authorization. On June 28, the State Department gave a partial answer to these questions, at least insofar as they relate to the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs).

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Congress

I Vetted the State Department Whip Guy

Margaret Taylor Mon, Jul 1, 2019, 11:49 AM

Mea Culpa: It’s all my fault.

On Wednesday, press outlets reported that the chief of protocol of the State Department, Ambassador Sean Lawler, has been “suspended indefinitely” pending the conclusion of an investigation into his conduct. Lawler reportedly plans on resigning from his post.

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Cybersecurity

Document: State Department Bureau for Cyberspace and the Digital Economy Proposal

Matthew Kahn Wed, Feb 7, 2018, 11:29 AM

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sent the following letter and proposal to House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, including a proposal for a Bureau for Cyberspace and the Digital Economy within the State Department.

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Israel-Palestine

On Waiving the Jerusalem Embassy Act (or Not)

Scott R. Anderson, Yishai Schwartz Thu, Nov 30, 2017, 2:50 PM

Editor's Note: The discussion of section 7(b) of the Jerusalem Embassy Act has been revised since original publication.

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Cyber & Technology

The Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2017: Giving Cyber the Importance It Needs at the State Department

Cameron Kerry Wed, Nov 29, 2017, 7:40 AM

A bill from a strong bipartisan group of House members may reinstate and elevate a version of the cyber coordinator position eliminated as part of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s controversial “redesign” in July. The bill recognizes the degree to which protecting security in cyberspace and promoting digital communications as a vital economic, social, and political bridge have become critical to the mission of the U.S. government.

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State Department

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Podcast Bonus Edition: Marie Yovanovitch vs The Committee with No Bull

The Ukraine Connection

New Ukraine Transcripts Released for Gordon Sondland and Kurt Volker

The Ukraine Connection

The Volker Texts: What Quid Pro Quo Looks Like

The Ukraine Connection

House Chairmen Subpoena Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

security assistance

Disappearing Transparency in U.S. Arms Sales

Iran

Parsing the State Department’s Letter on the Use of Force Against Iran

Congress

I Vetted the State Department Whip Guy

Cybersecurity

Document: State Department Bureau for Cyberspace and the Digital Economy Proposal

Israel-Palestine

On Waiving the Jerusalem Embassy Act (or Not)

Cyber & Technology

The Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2017: Giving Cyber the Importance It Needs at the State Department

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