Mike Pompeo's RNC address in Israel to be investigated by Democratic-led House subcommittee

GOP runs the Senate, so little will happen even if panel finds speech was illegal

A Democratic-run House committee says it will investigate Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Tuesday night address at the Republican National Convention, but any action that would issue a reprimand with teeth for his address while on foreign soil is almost inevitably not coming.

America's top diplomat is slated to address the convention as its second-night keynote speaker, but the pre-recorded speech from Jerusalem appears to violate longstanding norms for travelling secretaries of state – and guidance to diplomats Mr Pompeo himself signed.

Norms and guidance are of little import to Donald Trump or any other senior official or adviser working for the unconventional commander in chief. If they calculate getting away with a norms-bending move to the president's benefit, they usually give it a shot.

There is no indication the White House or Republican National Committee have pulled his taped remarks from Tuesday's packed lineup.

Rep Joaquin Castro, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, said in a Tuesday statement his subcommittee will look into the speech.

In a letter sent to Mr Pompeo's No. 2, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Tuesday, Mr Castro wrote: "It is highly unusual, and likely unprecedented, for a sitting Secretary of State to speak at a partisan convention for either of the political parties. It appears that it may also be illegal.

"In furtherance of the constitutionally mandated obligation to conduct oversight of the State Department, as well as to determine whether and legislative action is necessary, to address this matter, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations intends to examine this issue carefully," the Texas Democrat wrote.

Several senior White House officials are slated to also address the GOP event, including: chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and West Wing aide.

Because Republicans control the Senate, any legislation to punish Mr Pompeo is unlikely to pass. And Mr Trump would have to sign it into law, but he was heavily involved in picking speakers for his re-election convention.

Should Mr Trump lose in November, Mr Pompeo would exit his post.

So the subcommittee's probe could very well be the only official one of the secretary's RNC remarks.