Sarah Rogers Discloses $11,900 Trip Paid by Stripe’s Collison

A preliminary annual financial disclosure obtained by The Washington Post lists the gift and describes Patrick Collison as a “pre-existing friend predating my government service.”

Rogers said the travel, one month after she was sworn in, was “for purposes of tourism.” The Post published the filing on November 11, saying a State Department attorney has reviewed it but the Office of Government Ethics has not certified it.

Group Travel on a Private Jet

A State Department spokesperson said Rogers has known Collison for several years and that the trip was planned before her October 2025 confirmation. She flew on his private plane with economist Tyler Cowen, the spokesperson said.

Collison covered expenses for the entire group, according to the disclosure. His spokesperson said they visited sites in Cairo, Tbilisi and Heraklion, that there were “no business meetings conducted,” and that Stripe has no business before the State Department.

Cowen emailed The Post: “This is a trip Patrick and I organize every year to various cities throughout the world to visit historic sites and museums with a handful of friends.”

State Department Response

The department said the $11,900 figure represents a “high-end range,” including commercial-equivalent airfare. It said Rogers disclosed the trip to the department and to ethics officials, and has never taken part in any government matter involving Stripe.

“Under Secretary Rogers remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethics for which the Department and Secretary Rubio are known,” the spokesperson said.

Ethics Rules and Expert Views

Federal regulations generally bar gifts given “because of the employee’s official position,” with an exception for gifts “motivated by a family relationship or personal friendship rather than the position of the employee.”

Ethics experts who reviewed the filing for The Post said they could not determine whether the trip broke the law, calling it a gray area because an expensive vacation for a senior official could appear improper.

“I think the best practice for any government employee is to avoid accepting even permissible gifts to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest,” said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight.

Kathleen Clark, a Washington University law professor, said that standard “apparently includes accepting an extravagant gift from a billionaire.” The “really simple fix,” she said, was “paying for it herself.”

Scrutiny at the State Department

The disclosure lands after Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece following reporting on her finances. Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later reminded staff to avoid conflicts of interest.

Rubio told reporters on November 9 that the department takes ethics seriously. “We have a process for addressing those things, and we take that very seriously,” he said.