UPDATE 1-Congress to get briefing on alleged retaliation against U.S. diplomats over Ukraine

The U.S. State Department inspector general plans to brief congressional committees on Wednesday about recent instances of potential political retaliation by agency leaders against career officials over Ukraine, two sources familiar with matter said.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the briefings were part of the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into whether President Donald Trump sought help from Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, the former vice president. The sources said the House and Senate intelligence panels expected to be briefed by the State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, whose office carries out independent oversight to combat waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement within the agency.

They did not provide details about the potential political retaliation against career officials. The impeachment inquiry could lead to approval of articles of impeachment - or formal charges - against Trump in the House. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to remove him from office. The president's fellow Republicans control the Senate and have shown little appetite for removing him. (Reporting By Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Landay; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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