August 26, 1996
THE DAILY FED
State Department Official Resigns
Richard M. Moose stepped down as undersecretary of state for management to accept a post at the Council on Foreign Relations. He had held the position at State for three years.
The State Department inspector general recently began an investigation into Moose's overseas travel expenses after an anonymous letter charged he had increased his overseas travel with a woman on his staff. Moose denied charges that his travel was excessive.
Moose, who had been responsible for implementing cuts in the State Department's budget over the past three years, had been a lightning rod for criticism within the department. Earlier this year, he came under fire for flying first class back to the United States from Paris after ordering staffing cuts at U.S. embassies in Europe. It turned out that the airline he was flying on upgraded him to a first-class seat without charge.
State Department spokesmen would not comment on whether or not the inspector general will continue the investigation into the new set of allegations.
Patrick Kennedy, assistant secretary for administration at State, has been tapped to serve as acting undersecretary for management.
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