Florida Sen. Rubio fires chief of staff for 'improper conduct' involving a subordinate
WASHINGTON – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., fired Chief of Staff Clint Reed Saturday following allegations of “improper conduct,” with employees in the senator’s office.
In a statement his office released late Saturday, Rubio said the staffer “had violated office policies regarding proper relations between a supervisor and their subordinates. I further concluded that this led to actions which in my judgement amounted to threats to withhold employment benefits.”
The statement does not mention Reed by name. But a spokeswoman for Rubio confirmed it was Reed who was fired. She would not elaborate further about the allegations beyond the statement.
Rubio said he was first made aware of the allegations of improper conduct on Friday, according to the statement.
“These allegations were reported directly to me instead of our General Counsel or the Congressional Office of Compliance. Immediately upon receiving this complaint, I along with our General Counsel, began an investigation of this matter,” he said.
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Rubio flew to Washington Saturday evening and fired Reed.
“We have taken steps to ensure that those impacted by this conduct have access to any services they may require now or in the future,” Rubio said in the statement. “Pursuant to the wishes of those victimized by this conduct, we will not be disclosing any further details about the incidents which occurred. We will be formally notifying the appropriate congressional and Senate administrative offices of this matter when they return to work Monday morning.”
The firing is the latest chapter of misconduct allegations that have embroiled Capitol Hill in recent months. A number of lawmakers have either resigned or opted not seek re-election after accusers have stepped forward to detail harassment.
Reed has been Rubio’s chief of staff since January 2017. Before that, the native Arkansan had managed Rubio’s 2016 re-election campaign following the senator’s unsuccessful presidential run.
Reed has held a number of political positions as well, including regional political director of the Republican National Committee (2007-09), and executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party 2004-07), according to his LinkedIn profile.