A U.S. State Department foreign service officer has been terminated after an undercover investigation revealed he concealed a romantic relationship with the daughter of a Chinese Communist Party official.
Daniel Choi was fired following an internal review ordered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and approved by President Donald Trump. The dismissal came after O’Keefe Media Group released undercover footage in which Choi acknowledged his girlfriend’s father was “straight-up Communist Party” and that she “could have been a spy.”
What the Officer Disclosed
In the secretly recorded video, Choi admitted to knowingly hiding the relationship from State Department security officials despite being required to report close personal contacts with foreign nationals. “I defied my government for love,” he said in the footage, according to the department’s statement.
The officer reportedly told the undercover journalist that his girlfriend’s father held a position as either a provincial or federal education minister within the CCP structure. Choi acknowledged the potential security risk, stating he did not even know if she could have been involved in intelligence gathering.
The Legal Framework
This marks the first termination under Executive Order 14211, which President Trump signed earlier this year to strengthen accountability within the diplomatic corps. The order grants the president authority to discipline or separate officers who fail to faithfully implement U.S. foreign policy.
Foreign service officers are required by long-standing security protocols to immediately disclose any “close and continuing contact” with foreign nationals who may have ties to hostile governments. A State Department official said on background that “every officer takes an oath to serve the United States and to uphold our security standards.”
Broader Security Concerns
Choi’s case reflects growing concerns within U.S. counterintelligence circles about Chinese intelligence-gathering through personal relationships. A former senior intelligence official familiar with State Department security procedures noted that “romantic and social connections remain one of the most exploited vectors in Chinese espionage.”
Beijing has long used romantic entanglements, financial incentives, and academic ties to collect sensitive information from American personnel. An unreported relationship of this nature creates what officials described as a “massive vulnerability,” regardless of the officer’s intentions.
Rubio’s Response
Secretary Rubio moved quickly to recommend termination, citing national security concerns and the need to enforce accountability across diplomatic ranks. Since taking office, Rubio has taken a hardline stance on countering Chinese influence within U.S. institutions, tightening vetting procedures for foreign contacts and expanding background checks.
This story has been updated. CNN’s reporting team contributed to this report.