Marco Rubio accused of violating federal law as National Archives leadership in limbo

Secretary of State Marco Rubio may have violated federal law surrounding leadership of the National Archives, reported the Boston Globe on Monday — and the agency itself is in a state of limbo without a clear leader.

"In February 2025, Trump fired Colleen Shogan, the Archivist of the United States — which oversees the National Archives and Records Administration — without explaining why," said the report. "Rubio was tapped to serve as acting Archivist, a position he was permitted to hold for 300 days under federal law, or until the Senate confirmed a replacement. Trump, however, only just named a nominee this month."

The administration denies any law was broken — but its explanation raises more questions than it answers.

"Rubio’s staff and the National Archives both say Rubio surrendered his acting gig on Dec. 4, just within the 300-day limit," said the report. "Senator Tammy Duckworth, in a previously unreported letter, last week asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether Rubio violated federal law, citing her aides’ interactions with the Secretary’s staff, as well as other data points, that raised confusion about Rubio’s status as Archivist and when he actually left the position."

Moreover, said the report, "both NARA and the GAO confirmed the vacancy wasn’t reported until Jan. 23, 2026, more than seven weeks after Rubio purportedly departed the office."

All of this comes as experts also raise alarm at Rubio's acting role as National Security Adviser, and how the counterintelligence machinery of the federal government is in jeopardy as Rubio divides his time between all the roles he is tasked with.