Marco Rubio’s State Department is facing an investigation for allegedly breaking federal law by digging into staffers’ political loyalties.
The State Department has asked some foreign service officials up for promotion “who they voted for in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections,” the Washington Sun reported, raising concerns the agency is violating a federal law that bars “politicized personnel decisions” within the nonpartisan ranks.
Top State Department officials made clear that only candidates who voted for President Donald Trump would be eligible for mid-to-upper level foreign service roles, according to the report. They also told candidates their campaign donation history would be examined and that any donation to Democrats “would be disqualifying.”
The Sun spoke to six current and former State Department officials familiar with the questioning. Three had spoken directly with people who were asked.
“Federal law directly prohibits federal officials from making any personnel decisions on the basis of political affiliation,” the Sun reported.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the voting-history questions. “It is not about partisan behavior but rather about executing the president’s vision for foreign policy,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the Sun, adding that Rubio has prioritized merit.
Congressional Democrats are preparing to probe such incidents, the Sun reported. “The Committee has been following allegations that the Trump Administration is making political affiliation a factor in employment for some time now,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. “These are critical national security positions and individuals should be chosen for their experience and ability, not their political loyalty. We are working with the House and other relevant committees to thoroughly investigate all such claims.”
The department added a “fidelity” section to the foreign service’s performance-evaluation process in July 2025. It requires managers to assess employees’ commitment to “completely aligning oneself and one’s team to the most current [U.S. government] goals,” according to the Sun.
One person who recently took the revamped Foreign Service Officer Test said it included questions about the impact of Ronald Reagan’s tax policies and the accomplishments of Mike Pompeo, Trump’s first-term secretary of state. “There was just something about the test that made it seem like they weren’t looking for the highest scores but people who answered a certain way on specific questions,” the person said.
The report followed another Sun investigation, covered by Raw Story, that found senior foreign service officials are being pushed out while staff seen as more politically loyal are promoted. State spokesperson Tommy Pigott said complaining employees “prove the point that they shouldn’t have, and can’t be, trusted with sensitive information.”
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