We stand behind our story. Prior to publishing, we asked the State Department, in writing, to respond to allegations that “employees are being directly asked who they voted for in 2016, 2020 and 2024 before they receive promotions, and are told directly that if they have any history of donating to Democrats that they will not be eligible for the role.” The State Department did not in any way deny that those incidents occurred. Instead, it said that the department values “fidelity,” that it “will not tolerate . . . people using their positions to actively undermine the duly elected President’s objectives,” and that it prioritizes “merit and reward[s] demonstrated performance on behalf of Administration priorities.” After the story was published – and after members of Congress raised concerns based on the story – the State Department gave additional comment denying the “premise” of our reporting. We published this after-the-fact statement in full. And since publishing, we have heard from additional sources familiar with top State officials asking foreign service officers about their voting and political contribution histories.