After 'Gift Scandal'... US State Department on Alert as Rubio Warns Senior Officials

Sources said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took steps to tighten oversight within the State Department, informing senior officials that employees must stay within their areas of responsibility and avoid any moves that could raise conflicts of interest.

Rubio's message, delivered last week before the Republican Party suffered losses in Tuesday's elections, came as several prominent party leaders sought to distance themselves from the administration of President Donald Trump, whose popularity is declining.

The meeting was held after the resignation of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberley Gillfoyle in mid-October, following media reports that she had received money, gifts, and perks in exchange for providing access to Trump administration officials.

Gillfoyle described those reports as false and stated in a social media post that she would defend her reputation.

One source said Rubio emphasized during the meeting, which included many of the Secretary's approximately 24 aides, that any unethical behavior would result in termination regardless of an official's influence or connections.

According to sources, he added that many officials were making decisions or pushing political agendas without sufficient coordination, noting that important decisions require his approval or that of his deputy, Christopher Landau.

Sources said Jeremy Lewin, the department's policy lead, was forced to leave his position shortly after the meeting, partly due to concerns that he was working on files outside his scope without proper coordination, though the precise details of these concerns remain unclear.

None of the spokespeople mentioned to Reuters that Lewin's departure was linked to any ethical violations. Lewin joined the government through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and contributed to dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversaw foreign aid.

One source said Rubio and several senior department officials were frustrated by "his unilateral moves" and violation of "some of the Secretary's directives," without providing specific examples.

Lewin, who had held his high-ranking position for just over two months, said via social media last month 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 it was time for Lewin to leave his position."

However, Lewin told Reuters in a statement that his departure had been planned weeks before its announcement, denying that he was fired.

He clarified: "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 key projects, I resigned from my position before the midterm elections to take a job in the private sector and plan my wedding." He continued, "This had nothing to do with any meeting or with the administration's policies." One source noted that among Rubio's grievances was also the frequency of overseas trips made by political staff, prompting the department to require his office's approval for all political travel abroad.

Post-Midterm Election Losses

Moves related to the 2028 presidential election began accelerating immediately after Tuesday's midterm elections resulted in Democrats gaining control of Congress.

Vice President J.D. Vance and Republican Senator Ted Cruz offered assessments of the election results on the platform X, which many strategists viewed as glimpses into political visions marking the start of the presidential race season.

Rubio sought to downplay reports about a potential presidential run but did not publicly rule it out. If he decides to enter the race, his management of the State Department could become a topic of debate during the campaign.

The Trump administration has faced repeated accusations of seeking personal gain, while Democrats have said they will scrutinize Trump aides' dealings with foreign officials when they take control of Congress in January and proceed with formal investigations. The Trump administration denied allegations of seeking personal gain.

Several media outlets indicate that shortly after Gillfoyle left the administration in October, Rubio sent a memo to all department employees reminding diplomats to "avoid conflicts of interest."

He later denied that the memo was issued as a result of Gillfoyle's departure, telling reporters that he had intended to send it weeks earlier but it was delayed for administrative reasons.

Like other entities in the Trump administration, the State Department has seen several officials depart recently.

In October, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli was dismissed after Politico revealed a series of emails between him and Landau, in which the latter accused him of operating outside his scope in cultural diplomacy, stating that Zampolli continued to interfere in matters not part of his duties despite Landau's instructions.

Shortly after leaving, Zampolli wrote on X that appointments to special envoy positions last one year under the law, and that Trump had extended his appointment for more than six additional months.