Trump’s Chief Of Protocol Reportedly To Resign Ahead Of G-20

The Chief of Protocol for the Trump administration plans to resign amid an investigation into his behavior at the office, including allegations that he carried a whip, according to Bloomberg.

Sean Lawler is a State Department official and Ambassador who has been the Chief of Protocol for over 18 months. He was supposed to join President Donald Trump to the G-20 on Friday and Saturday. The G-20 is an international forum comprised of 19 countries and the European Union, and Lawler would have played an important role, anonymous sources said according to Bloomberg.

The investigation is looking into reports that Lawler intimidated staff and carried a whip in the office. Senior staff in the protocol office were told that Lawler was leaving because of personal issues, according to CNN. However, Lawler was allegedly told that he needed to leave because of the nature of the investigation, two State Officials told CNN. He has reportedly been suspended indefinitely amid the possible investigation.

Mary-Kate Fischer, the assistant chief of protocol, will reportedly take Lawler’s place at the G-20 in Japan. Trump will be meeting with the leaders of China, Russia, Turkey and more.

Trump is not a fan of Lawler and has asked why he is still in the White House, sources said according to Bloomberg. Lawler raised his voice and used profanity in the office, was demeaning to employees and was unprofessional, a State Department official told CNN.

“A large chunk of the protocol office was aware of this behavior for a long time,” the official said according to CNN. “They’re surprised, to be honest, that this hadn’t been dealt with sooner.”

Lawler has worked in the U.S. government for almost 30 years and is a U.S. Navy Veteran.

The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.