--- title: John Kerry, Diplomats Banned From Ice Bucket Challenge description: Lawyers say it's an ethical issue canonical: https://time.com/3154685/u-s-diplomats-banned-from-ice-bucket-challenge/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-21T20:22:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:00:49.691Z article:section: Politics og:title: John Kerry, Diplomats Banned From Ice Bucket Challenge og:description: Lawyers say it's an ethical issue og:url: https://time.com/3154685/u-s-diplomats-banned-from-ice-bucket-challenge/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt89e3bd92eff85aea/69869d95f983e7639a04f065/kerry2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks while releasing the 2013 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom July 28, 2014, at the US State Department in Washington. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John Kerry, Diplomats Banned From Ice Bucket Challenge twitter:description: Lawyers say it's an ethical issue twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt89e3bd92eff85aea/69869d95f983e7639a04f065/kerry2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # U.S. Diplomats Banned From Ice Bucket Challenge ## Video: It’ll Be A Cold Day: The Ice Bucket Challenge [Watch (HLS stream): It’ll Be A Cold Day: The Ice Bucket Challenge](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GIHofBBD.m3u8) (1:33)  _Published 2014-08-11. If you’ve seen people all over your newsfeed dumping buckets of ice water on themselves, you’re not alone. The Ice Bucket Challenge is ironically one of the hottest things on social media as it tries to raise money for ALS charities._  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Aug 21, 2014 8:22 PM UTC  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks while releasing the 2013 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom on July 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks while releasing the 2013 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom on July 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C.Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty Images  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Aug 21, 2014 8:22 PM UTC John Kerry will not be dumping ice water over his head and filming it. Lawyers at the State Department have forbidden U.S. diplomats from participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a social-media phenomenon raising money and awareness for ALS. In a cable sent this week to U.S. ambassadors and foreign-service officers, and obtained Thursday [by the Associated Press](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-diplomats-barred-ice-bucket-challenge), the lawyers said the it’s an ethical issue. “There are firmly established rules preventing the use of public office, such as our ambassadors, for private gain, no matter how worthy a cause,” the cable said. “Thus, high-ranking State Department officials are unfortunately unable to participate in the ice bucket challenge. We since wish the ALS Association continued success in its ice bucket campaign, and in its fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease.” Celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Oprah Winfrey and George W. Bush are among those who have posted videos of themselves dumping freezing cold water on their heads. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $40 million so far. \[[_AP_](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-diplomats-barred-ice-bucket-challenge)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3154685/u-s-diplomats-banned-from-ice-bucket-challenge/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3154685/u-s-diplomats-banned-from-ice-bucket-challenge/"},"headline":"U.S. Diplomats Banned From Ice Bucket Challenge","datePublished":"2014-08-21T20:22:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:00:49.691Z","description":"Lawyers say it's an ethical issue","url":"https://time.com/3154685/u-s-diplomats-banned-from-ice-bucket-challenge/","keywords":["Foreign Policy"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt89e3bd92eff85aea/69869d95f983e7639a04f065/kerry2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt89e3bd92eff85aea/69869d95f983e7639a04f065/kerry2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks while releasing the 2013 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom July 28, 2014, at the US State Department in Washington.","caption":"US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks while releasing the 2013 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom July 28, 2014, at the US State Department in Washington.","creditText":"Paul J. 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