US Ambassador's 'poor relationships' with some ministries in Singapore impeded diplomatic goals: Watchdog

WASHINGTON — US Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan had "poor relationships" with some Singapore ministries, impeding America's diplomatic goals, says an official watchdog report.

"Multiple embassy sections noted that the Ambassador developed poor relationships with some Singaporean ministries," a February 2024 report by the State Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) said.

In some cases, this hurt progress on diplomatic goals, the report noted, and it recommended further investigation into his conduct.

Ambassador Kaplan said he took full responsibility and promised to address concerns raised in the report.

"I stand by the work of the State Department OIG," he said in a statement.

"My team and I take full responsibility for quickly addressing the concerns and recommendations found in the report."

The OIG conducts routine, congressionally mandated inspections. The report's findings were based on review of documents, surveys and interviews of embassy staff, and observations of embassy meetings and activities.

According to the report, the Ambassador "often was unprepared on issues and made statements that were counterproductive to a section's work".

"The Ambassador's many projects frequently were unattainable, diverted the embassy's limited resources, and detracted from the staff's ability to perform core duties. Staff also questioned the utility of some projects in promoting US interests in Singapore," it said.

The report also found that the Ambassador had limited contact with Singapore's traditional media.

He had held only two press events since his arrival in Singapore, one of which was off the record, the report said.

"The Ambassador told OIG there was no need for him to deal with Singapore's traditional media and he preferred to use social media," it said.

He appeared indifferent to the embassy's social media priorities and focused instead on the number of followers on his official Instagram account, which, as at March 2023, had 825 followers, it added.

Kaplan, the inventor of the Flip video camera and the founding chief executive of The Melt, a chain of fast-casual restaurants, was confirmed as ambassador in late 2021.

He reportedly donated more than US$100,000 (S$134,000) to Democratic campaigns in the 10 years before being appointed. This was his first diplomatic appointment.

In other findings, the report said the Ambassador spent almost US$10,000 on unauthorised consulting expenditures, US$48,000 on outstanding travel fees, and US$27,000 on securing a piano for his friend to play for an event on board a visiting US Navy ship.

The OIG is responsible for detecting and investigating waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement of the State Department's resources.

The report recommended further investigation by the State Department into Kaplan's conduct.

A State Department spokesperson told The Straits Times that the OIG report is being taken seriously.

The Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the US Embassy in Singapore concurred with the OIG's recommendations, and the Embassy in Singapore has already instituted significant organisational and procedural changes that are intended to address them, the official said.

"The recommendations are focused on ensuring that the US is best positioned to advance our excellent relationship with the Government of Singapore," the spokesperson said.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.