Mike Pompeo is an American businessman and politician. He was a member of the US congress from 2011 to 2017. On 23rd January 2017, he was appointed as the director of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The Trump loyalist has formerly been a Kansas state member on the RNC (Republican National Committee) and a representative of the Italian American Congressional Delegation. Pompeo was also a member of the famous Tea Party organization that was instrumental in shifting the policies of the Republican Party.
On March 13, 2018, President Trump announced that Rex Tillerson would be replaced by Pompeo as the US Secretary of State after the former retires on 31st March 2018. Mike Pompeo’s position will be filled by Gina Haspel, the first woman to grace the job of a CIA Director.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Richard Pompeo was born on December 30, 1963 in Orange California to Wayne Pompeo and Dorothy.
He attended the Los Amigos High School located in Fountain Valley, CA and played on the school’s basketball team as a power forward. Mike graduated from West Point’s United States Military Academy in 1986 with a major in mechanical engineering.
Mike later enrolled at Harvard Law School and received a JD/Juris Doctor in 1994. He was a member of the Harvard Law Review’s board of editors during his time at Harvard.
Career
Pompeo joined the US Army in 1986 and served as an Armor Branch Cavalry Officer and eventually reached the position/rank of a Captain. He served during the Gulf War and also served as patrolling officer before the Berlin Wall fell. Mike left the US army in 1991.
After graduating from Harvard, Mike started working as a lawyer for the firm Williams & Connolly. In 1998, Mike relocated to Wichita and started a company called Thayer Aerospace with 3 friends. He sold his share in the company to Highland Capital Management in 2006. He named his partner as the COO after he became the director of CIA.
In 2010, Mike won the Kansas primaries against his Republican opponents for 4th District Congressional seat. He eventually went on to defeat Democratic candidate Raj Goyle 59 percent to 36 percent. Pompeo won the seat again in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
During his tenure in the US House of Representatives, Pompeo served on the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was a member of the US House Select Committee on Benghazi. He also served in 3 sub-committees, namely, the US House Energy Subcommittee on Energy, the US House Energy Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, and the US House Intelligence Subcommittee on the CIA.
On 18th Nov, 2016, Trump announced that Pompeo would be nominated by him as director of the CIA. The US Senate confirmed him on 23rd January, 2017.
Personal Life and Trivia
- Michael Pompeo is married to Susan. The couple has a son.
- Mike is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. The NRA has also endorsed him.
- He goes to the Eastminster Presbyterian Church, where he teaches Sunday school’s 5th grade class and serves as a Deacon.
Mike Pompeo – Salary and Net Worth
Pompeo in his capacity as the US Secretary of State will receive a salary of $210,700 per year. This is the pay associated with Level 1 positions that include high ranked officials in the executive branch of US government. His net worth is an estimated $550,000.