Rubio demanded that key decisions at the US State Department be coordinated — Jerusalem Post

In the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a recent meeting with senior State Department officials, demanded that employees not exceed their authority and avoid actions that could create conflicts of interest. According to four people familiar with the matter, Rubio warned that unethical conduct would be grounds for dismissal regardless of an official’s connections.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, many of the roughly two dozen assistant secretaries of state attended the meeting. Rubio also said that officials were making decisions or advancing policy initiatives without proper coordination. Significant decisions, he said, require approval from him or Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The State Department did not comment on the course of the meeting.

Departure of a policy official

Shortly after the meeting, Jeremy Levin, the head of the State Department’s policy division, left his post. Three Reuters sources said he was forced to leave, including over concerns about work on matters outside his area of responsibility without proper coordination. At the same time, they did not link his departure to possible ethical violations.

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Levin denied that he had been fired. He told Reuters that he had planned in advance to move to the private sector after completing key projects and preparing for his wedding. A State Department spokesperson said the parties jointly agreed on the timing of his departure.

Conflicts of interest and official travel

The increased oversight followed the resignation in mid-October of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Her departure came after media reports about the possible sale of access to officials in Donald Trump’s administration in exchange for money, gifts, and services. Guilfoyle called the reports false and said she would defend her reputation.

After her resignation, Rubio sent diplomats a memo reminding them to avoid conflicts of interest. Also, according to one source, the secretary of state’s office began approving all foreign travel by political staff because of concerns about its excessive number.