{"id":2648000,"date":"2026-08-21T18:50:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T22:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-opinion-gives-marco-rubio-final-say-over-foreign-service-firing-appeals\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T18:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T22:53:55","slug":"doj-opinion-gives-marco-rubio-final-say-over-foreign-service-firing-appeals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-opinion-gives-marco-rubio-final-say-over-foreign-service-firing-appeals\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ opinion gives Marco Rubio final say over Foreign Service firing appeals"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-opinion-gives-marco-rubio-final-say-over-foreign-service-firing-appeals%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2648000&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports that the Justice Department\u2019s Office of Legal Counsel has issued guidance stating that U.S. diplomats and Foreign Service employees seeking to appeal their firings or disciplinary actions must have their cases ultimately reviewed by the Secretary of State or the President, rather than relying on an autonomous panel. Specifically, the Foreign Service Grievance Board, which previously could overrule the State department in such cases, no longer has the final authority; its decisions will now be recommendations subject to presidential or secretary of state review. This shift aims to enhance presidential control over foreign policy accountability.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ highlighted a 2013 case involving a Peace Corps IT worker as an example of the risks of allowing the independent board to have the final say, noting its decision to reinstate the employee despite evidence of misconduct. The legal guidance underscores concerns that unelected officials could overrule political leadership, especially in high-profile personnel decisions involving diplomats.<\/p>\n<p>This move aligns with broader Supreme Court rulings emphasizing presidential authority over executive agencies and officials. The DOJ advised the State Department to cease enforcing certain provisions of the Foreign Service Act that limited the secretary\u2019s review power, advocating for greater presidential control over personnel appeals within the Foreign Service.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s Secretary of State <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> should have the final say when U.S. diplomats and other Foreign Service employees appeal their firings or discipline, according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> legal guidance issued Friday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ\u2019s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that an independent panel known as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fsgb.gov\/fsgb_public\">Foreign Service Grievance Board<\/a> cannot retain final authority to overrule the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-department\/\">State Department<\/a> in those cases. The board will continue to hear employee appeals, but its decisions in favor of an employee will become recommendations subject to either the president or the secretary of state\u2019s final review, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1458836\/dl\">opinion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4696864\/doj-rubio-foreign-service-board-tighten-executive-powers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ says Rubio should have final say over Foreign Service board in latest bid to tighten executive powers<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4694010\/trump-economic-warfare-dday-iran-war\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump demands allies assist with new \u2018economic D-Day\u2019 campaign against Iran<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4693963\/trump-iran-war-talks-draconian-sanctions\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says Iran talks could resume \u2018at some point,\u2019 threatens \u2018draconian\u2019 sanctions<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAccountability for American foreign policy flows from the people to the foreign service through the President,\u201d Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser, who authored the opinion, said in a\u00a0Friday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-office-legal-counsel-concludes-constitution-requires-presidential-control\">release<\/a>. \u201cOur advice today restores that essential through-line.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foreign Service Grievance Board is an independent panel that hears workplace appeals from U.S. diplomats and other Foreign Service employees, and its power to overturn firings and other discipline has made it a consequential check on State Department management.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ highlighted a 2013 ruling involving a Peace Corps IT worker who downloaded sexually explicit material onto his government computer as an example of why the independent board should not have the final word.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Case materials obtained from a source by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> show that the board ordered the Peace Corps to reinstate the employee for the rest of his contract, award him back pay, and remove his termination from his personnel records.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The board found the worker had downloaded six sexually explicit videos and one image onto his government workstation. It called the conduct a \u201cclear violation of the trust\u201d placed in an IT specialist responsible for protecting the agency\u2019s computer systems.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">Excerpt from the Foreign Service Grievance Board\u2019s Sept. 30, 2013, decision in In the Matter Between [REDACTED TEXT] Employee and Peace Corps, 2013 FSGB LEXIS 199.<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-5.48.03-PM.png?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Excerpt from the Foreign Service Grievance Board\u2019s Sept. 30, 2013, decision in In the Matter Between [REDACTED TEXT] Employee and Peace Corps, 2013 FSGB LEXIS 199.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the board found that the Peace Corps had not proved its principal claim that the worker viewed the material at his workstation. It also found the agency relied on additional allegations and aggravating factors that were not included in the original termination notice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ cited that result to underscore its argument that an unelected board should not be able to overrule the executive branch on personnel decisions involving the country\u2019s diplomats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OLC said the problem could extend far beyond a workplace-misconduct case. The memorandum warned that an ambassador fired by the president could seek reinstatement by persuading the board to rule in his favor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/kaelan-deese\/#google_vignette\">APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS LETITIA JAMES SUBPOENA BLOCK AS DOJ VOWS TO APPEAL TO SUPREME COURT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opinion relied on <em>United States v. Arthrex<\/em>, a 2021 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Supreme-Court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a> decision that rejected unreviewable executive authority exercised by lower-level officers. It also cited <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4477468\/supreme-court-expands-trump-power-fire-officials-independent-agencies\/#google_vignette\">Trump v. Slaughter<\/a><\/em>, the Supreme Court\u2019s June decision emphasizing presidential control over executive officials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OLC advised the State Department to stop enforcing provisions of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/96th-congress\/house-bill\/6790\">Foreign Service Act<\/a> that limit the secretary\u2019s review and let the board have the final word. The DOJ said the change would preserve the board while putting final responsibility for its decisions with Rubio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ: Rubio should decide appeals over Foreign Service discipline<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2648001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_4153.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[84516,7076,55303,5045,34360],"class_list":["post-2648000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-appeals-process","tag-doj","tag-foreign-service","tag-government","tag-marco-rubio"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_4153.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2648000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2648000"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2648000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2648004,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2648000\/revisions\/2648004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2648001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2648000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2648000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2648000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}