USAupdated 17m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 23 January 2025Marco Rubio Warns Top Staff Against Unethical Behavior, Orders Approval for Major Decisions
“Additionally, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, was terminated after communication issues arose with Landau.”
“The State Department declined to comment on the meeting.”
Photo: U.S. Department of State / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Rubio warned top staff that unethical behavior will trigger dismissal, regardless of connections. He tightened oversight, telling officials to stay in their lanes.
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Rubio tightens oversight
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened a meeting at the end of October with nearly two dozen senior officials and warned that any unethical behavior would result in dismissal, regardless of political contacts or connections. Reuters reported that Rubio said too many officials were making decisions or pushing political agendas without coordinating, and he ordered that major decisions require his approval or that of Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau.
Rubio also established that his office must approve all international trips by political staff, which he deemed an excessive use of such travel. The meeting followed the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece in mid-October after accusations of selling access to government officials in exchange for money, gifts, and favors, and Guilfoyle labeled the reports false while announcing she would defend her reputation.
Lewin exits, dispute over firing
Jeremy Lewin left his post shortly after the meeting, and Reuters sources said his departure was partly due to concerns about his work on issues outside his remit without proper coordination and for acting against "certain directives of the secretary." Lewin denied that he had been fired and told Reuters, "The suggestion that I was fired is false."
Lewin said he resigned before the midterm elections to take a private-sector position and organize his wedding, and he added that the plan had been discussed with the secretary and his team. A State Department official told Reuters that it was mutually agreed that it was time for Lewin to move on, while Reuters reported that none of the people it spoke to suggested Lewin’s departure was linked to incidents of ethical misconduct.
2028 politics and investigations
Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, and the new majority will allow them to launch formal investigations into possible conflicts of interest starting January 2027. Reuters said the 2028 presidential race began shifting into gear almost immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Vice President JD Vance and Republican Senator Ted Cruz offering post-mortems on X that strategists saw as political vision statements.
Rubio sought to play down reports that he was considering a run, but he had not publicly ruled it out, and Reuters said his management of the State Department could emerge as a topic of conversation on the campaign trail. Reuters also reported that Rubio sent a department-wide memo reminding diplomats to "avoid conflicts of interest" shortly after Guilfoyle left the administration in October, and Rubio denied that the memo was sent as a result of Guilfoyle’s departure.