Pompeo Scrutinized For Lavish Government-Funded Dinners With Business, Media Figures

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used State Department funds to throw lavish dinners primarily with business executives and media figures in an apparent effort to gain influential friends for a future political run, NBC News reported Tuesday.

The dinners, dubbed the Madison Dinners, were paid for out of a State Department fund for “authorized activities that further the realization of U.S. foreign policy objectives.”

Over half the guests at the dinners have been business executives and media figures, including the heads of 7-Eleven, Chik-Fil-A and the Atlanta Falcons, while just...