UPDATE - State Dept. says report of mass defections overblown

CLARIFIES 5TH GRAF TO ATTRIBUTE QUOTE TO NEWSPAPER

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A report that suggests State Department personnel fleeing President Donald Trump's administration en mass is over-stating events, the agecny said Thursday.

Such actions are commonplace during a turnover in administrations, acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

"As is standard with every transition, the outgoing administration, in coordination with the incoming one, requested all politically appointed officers submit letters of resignation," Toner said.

The Washington Post reported the departures are "part of an ongoing mass exodus of senior foreign service officers who don’t want to stick around for the Trump era".

The newspaper said the department's undersecretary for management, Patrick Kennedy, and three of his top officials "resigned unexpectedly" Wednesday following the departure of two other senior officials Jan. 20.

"That amounts to a near-complete housecleaning of all the senior officials that deal with managing the State Department, its overseas posts and its people," he wrote.

In response, Toner said, "No officer accepts a political appointment with the expectation that it is unlimited. And all officers understand that the President may choose to replace them at any time".

Of those who submitted their formal resignations, some will continue on in different foreign service posts, while others will retire by choice or because they exceeded term limits, according to Toner .