Rubio Imposes Controls at US State Department as Republicans Prepare for 2028 Elections

Washington (Reuters) – Four sources said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken steps to tighten oversight at the State Department, recently informing senior officials at a meeting that staff must adhere to their defined jurisdictions and avoid any actions that could create conflicts of interest.

Rubio’s message came ahead of the Republican Party’s electoral losses in Tuesday’s elections, at a time when several prominent party leaders are seeking to distance themselves from President Donald Trump’s administration, whose popularity is waning.

The meeting followed the resignation in mid-October of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, after media reports alleged she had received money, gifts, and benefits in exchange for facilitating access to Trump administration officials.

Guilfoyle described those reports as “false” and posted on social media that she would defend her reputation.

One source said Rubio emphasized at the meeting, which included a large number of the roughly 24 senior officials in the State Department, that any unethical behavior would result in termination regardless of an official’s influence or connections.

According to sources who requested anonymity, a significant number of officials were making decisions or pushing political agendas without adequate coordination, noting that major decisions required approval from Rubio or his deputy, Christopher Landau.

Three sources said Jeremy Lavin, the department’s policy chief, was forced out of his position shortly after the meeting, partly due to concerns that he had been working on files outside his jurisdiction without proper coordination, although the precise details of these concerns remain unclear.

None of the speakers told Reuters that Lavin’s departure was linked to any ethical violations. Lavin joined the government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and played a role in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, which oversaw foreign aid.

One source said Rubio and several senior State Department officials were frustrated by Lavin’s “unilateral actions” and his violation of “some of the secretary’s directives,” without providing specific examples.

Lavin, who had held his senior post for just over two months, said in October via social media that he resigned to return to the private sector.

In response to a request for comment, a State Department official said, “It was mutually agreed that the time had come for Lavin to leave his position.”

However, Lavin told Reuters in a statement, “The claim that I was fired is incorrect. As planned for weeks with the secretary and his team, and after staying longer than expected to complete major projects, I resigned from my position ahead of the midterm elections to take a job in the private sector and plan my wedding.”

One source added that another reason for Rubio’s displeasure was the frequent overseas trips taken by political staff, prompting the department to require approval from his office for all political foreign travel.

Moves related to the 2028 presidential election have accelerated immediately after last Tuesday’s midterm elections resulted in Democrats taking control of Congress. Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Vice President JD Vance posted assessments of the election results on the platform X, which many political analysts saw as early indicators of political thinking as the presidential race season begins. Rubio sought to downplay reports about the possibility of his presidential candidacy, but he did not rule it out publicly. Should he decide to enter the race, his tenure at the State Department could become a topic of discussion during the campaign.

The Trump administration has faced repeated allegations of conflicts of interest and the pursuit of private gains, while Democrats have said they will scrutinize the dealings of Trump’s aides with foreign officials when they take control of Congress in January and launch formal investigations. Shortly after Gilmore left the administration in October, Rubio sent a memo to all State Department employees reminding them to “avoid conflicts of interest,” according to several media reports. He later denied that the memo was issued as a result of Gilmore’s departure, telling reporters that he had intended to send it weeks earlier, but it was delayed for administrative reasons.

Like other parts of the Trump administration, the State Department has seen the departure of several officials in recent months. In October, Special Representative for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampoli was dismissed after the website Politico revealed a series of emails between him and Landau, in which Landau accused him of acting beyond his mandate in cultural diplomacy, stating that Zampoli continued to intervene in matters outside his responsibilities despite Landau’s instructions. Reuters was unable to determine the nature of those files. Shortly after his departure, Zampoli wrote on X that appointments as special envoys last one year by law, and that Trump had extended his appointment for more than six additional months.