A U.S. State Department foreign service officer, Daniel Choi, has been fired after an undercover O’Keefe Media Group video revealed he had concealed a romantic relationship with the daughter of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliate. In the footage, Choi admitted that his girlfriend’s father was “straight-up Communist Party” and that she “could have been a spy.” He acknowledged intentionally failing to report the relationship to required security officials, saying he “defied” his government for love. Following the video’s release, Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched an internal review, and President Donald Trump approved Choi’s termination under Executive Order 14211.
The State Department stated that this was the first dismissal issued under the new executive order, which empowers the President and Secretary of State to remove foreign service personnel who fail to implement U.S. policy faithfully. Officials emphasized that Choi violated long-standing security protocols requiring disclosure of close contact with foreign nationals who may pose a security risk. Counterintelligence experts have long warned that Beijing uses personal and romantic connections to gather sensitive information from U.S. officials.
Rubio, who has tightened counter-espionage measures across the department, moved swiftly to recommend separation, citing the potential national-security threat. Department officials stressed that unreported foreign relationships create serious vulnerabilities, regardless of intent. Rumors have circulated that Rubio could be a contender for the 2028 presidential ticket alongside Vice President JD Vance.