Rubio warns State Department officials against conflicts of interest, freelancing as Republicans look to 2028

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned senior State Department officials against conflicts of interest and working beyond their assigned responsibilities, demanding greater oversight of policy decisions and staff conduct as Republicans begin looking towards the 2028 presidential election. Rubio delivered the message at a meeting last week attended by several of the department's roughly two dozen assistant secretaries of state, according to four people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. He warned that unethical behaviour would result in dismissal, regardless of how well-connected an official was, one of the sources said.

Rubio also expressed frustration that some officials were making decisions or pursuing policy agendas without coordinating with senior leadership. Significant decisions would require approval from Rubio or Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, according to the sources. The State Department declined to comment on the meeting, details of which have not previously been reported. The meeting took place before Republicans suffered electoral losses in Tuesday's midterm elections and comes amid efforts by some of the party's leading figures to distance themselves from an increasingly unpopular Trump administration.

Jeremy Lewin's Departure Raises Questions Over Internal Oversight Shortly after the meeting, State Department policy chief Jeremy Lewin left his position, amid concerns that he had been working on matters outside his area of responsibility without proper coordination, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The exact nature of those concerns remains unclear. None of the sources suggested that Lewin's departure was linked to ethical misconduct. Lewin joined the government through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and helped dismantle the US Agency for International Development, which oversaw US foreign assistance.

One of the sources said Rubio and other senior officials were frustrated with Lewin's "freelancing" and his alleged disregard for "certain directives from the Secretary", without providing specific examples. Lewin, who was appointed to his senior position just over two months ago, said on social media last month that he had stepped down to return to the private sector. A State Department official told Reuters that it was "mutually agreed it was time (for Lewin) to move on". Lewin denied that he had been fired, saying his departure had been planned several weeks before it was announced. "The suggestion that I was fired is false.

As planned for weeks with the Secretary and his team, after staying longer than expected to finish key projects, I resigned my position prior to the midterms to assume a private sector role and plan my wedding," he said in a statement to Reuters. "It had nothing to do with any meeting or policy regarding the management of the department," he added. Rubio's concerns also extended to what he considered excessive overseas travel by political staff. According to one of the sources, his office has since been made responsible for approving all political travel. Kimberly Guilfoyle Resignation Brought Conflicts Of Interest Into Focus The meeting followed the high-profile resignation of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle in mid-October, after media reports raised concerns that she had sold access to Trump administration officials in exchange for money, gifts and favours.

Guilfoyle has denied the allegations, calling the reports false and saying on social media that she would defend her reputation. Shortly after her departure, Rubio circulated a department-wide memo reminding diplomats to avoid conflicts of interest, according to multiple media reports. He later denied that the memo had been prompted by Guilfoyle's resignation, telling reporters that he had intended to send it weeks earlier but that it had been delayed by bureaucratic processes. The State Department has also seen other senior personnel departures in recent months. In October, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli was dismissed after Politico reported an email exchange between him and Landau.

In the correspondence, Landau accused Zampolli of repeatedly attempting to work on issues beyond his cultural diplomacy responsibilities, contrary to the deputy secretary's instructions. Reuters said it could not determine which specific issues were involved in the disagreement. After his departure, Zampolli wrote on X that special envoy appointments were limited by law to one year and that President Donald Trump had extended his tenure by more than six months. Rubio's State Department Record Could Come Under Scrutiny In 2028 Race Rubio's efforts to tighten oversight come as Republicans assess the fallout from their midterm election losses, which handed control of Congress to the Democrats, and political attention begins shifting towards the 2028 presidential race.

Vice President JD Vance and Republican Senator Ted Cruz offered their assessments of the election results on X soon after the vote. Several political strategists viewed their comments as early signals of their broader political ambitions. Rubio has sought to play down reports that he is considering a presidential run but has not publicly ruled one out. If he enters the 2028 race, his record as secretary of state, including his handling of the department and its internal management, could become a subject of scrutiny on the campaign trail. The Trump administration has repeatedly faced allegations of self-dealing and officials using public positions for personal benefit.

The administration has denied the allegations. Democrats are set to take control of Congress in January and have said they intend to examine dealings between Trump administration aides and foreign officials through formal investigations.