Ambassador Responds To IG's Critical Report On His Religious Writing And Speeches

U.S. Ambassador to Malta, Douglas Kmiec, an important Catholic supporter of President Obama, reacted yesterday to a report that the State Department Inspector General's Office had released earlier this week criticizing him for spending too much time on writing and speaking on subjects outside his core mission. These writings and speeches have focused on issues such as his religious beliefs and abortion. (See prior posting.) According to AP, Kmiec said in part:

I must say that I am troubled and saddened that a handful of individuals within my department in Washington seem to manifest a hostility to expressions of faith and efforts to promote better interfaith understanding. Our constitution proudly protects the free exercise of religion - even for ambassadors.