Democratic lawmakers are urging the State Department's inspector general to probe the department's personnel practices after several employees voiced concerns their careers were being stalled because of their past work under the Obama administration.

"Our staffs have been made aware of credible allegations that the State Department has required high-level career civil servants, with distinguished records, serving administrations of both parties, to move to performing tasks outside their area of substantive expertise," Democratic Reps. Eliot Engel Eliot Lance EngelHouse panel halts contempt proceedings against Pompeo after documents turned over Engel subpoenas US global media chief Michael Pack The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (N.Y.) and Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (Md.), the ranking Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, respectively, said in a letter obtained by CNN.

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"At the very least, this is a waste of taxpayer dollars. At worst it may constitute impermissible abuse and retaliation."

CNN first reported on Friday that several employees in the department were increasingly frustrated after they returned to State from high-level assignments only to be put on low-level jobs such as responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Some of these employees claim that they may be victims of political retribution.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told CNN that employees were being assigned to FOIA work out of necessity, and politics had nothing to do with the move.

"There is a job that needs to be done," she said. "It may not be a glamorous job, but it's an important one."