In a surprising turn of events at the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards, Katrina Fotovat, a Senior Bureau Official in the Office of Global Women’s Issues, defied explicit orders from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as she included a Bangladeshi protest leader with Jihadist ties in the awards, despite instructions to exclude her, according to State Department sources who spoke to journalist Laura Loomer.
The directive from Secretary Rubio came in response to Laura Loomer’s exclusive reporting, which exposed the Bangladeshi women’s connections to radical Islamic organizations, as well as their associations with Alex Soros and the Clinton Global Initiative. However, during the event, with Secretary Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump present on stage, Fotovat proceeded to honor the controversial figures, despite being fully aware of the Bangladeshi protesters’ affiliations with Islamic terrorists.
Other controversial figures awarded at the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony include Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj, a Yemeni award recipient, who sparked outrage by refusing to applaud when Amit Soussana, an Israeli hostage spoke. Al-Hajj, adorned in traditional Islamic attire, including a niqab, at the event.
Fotovat, who served in the State Department during the Biden Administration, has a history of supporting Democrat candidates. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records indicate that she donated a total of $7,292.48 to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with one contribution to Harris made on November 3, 2024, just before the election. Fotovat listed her State Department position under the “employer” section of the FEC forms, confirming her identity as the donor.
According to her State Department biography, Fotovat previously worked as an Interagency Liaison at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency being dismantled by the Trump Administration.
The official X account of the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the State Department further confirms Fotovat’s tenure as a Biden Administration holdover, with posts dated November 9, 2023, and May 8, 2024, highlighting her work within the department.
Fotovat’s actions raise questions about the influence of unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., who seem to believe that they hold authority over the directives of their superiors, appointed by a duly elected President of the United States.
Fire her insubordinate ass.
Why have They not fired her as of yet? If you disobey a direct order from your superior, you receive a pink slip right away pack up your things and go. That’s why I hope Rubio is never president. He’s not tough enough, and I am so sick of rhino Republicans not taking care of business.
Secretary Rubio, we are waiting to see how you will handle this direct challenge to your authority. Will it be the same as Congress has always done when ignored by unelected government officials, that is, nothing?