Four Cabinet-level officials were reportedly scolded in private meetings at the White House last month for news stories detailing questionable ethical behavior.

CNN reported Friday that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Ryan Keith ZinkeTrump extends Florida offshore drilling pause, expands it to Georgia, South Carolina Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention Trump flails as audience dwindles and ratings plummet MORE, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson Benjamin (Ben) Solomon CarsonBiden cannot keep letting Trump set the agenda The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump heads to New Hampshire after renomination speech Five takeaways on GOP's norm-breaking convention MORE, Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin David Jonathon ShulkinVA inspector general says former top official steered M contract to friend Schumer demands answers in use of unproven coronavirus drug on veterans Former Trump VA secretary says staffer found plans to replace him in department copier MORE and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt Edward (Scott) Scott PruittJuan Williams: Swamp creature at the White House Science protections must be enforceable Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE were among those called to the White House.

The meetings were held at the request of White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE, and stressed the importance of avoiding even so much as the appearance of unethical behavior, according to CNN.

ADVERTISEMENT

The agencies were also reportedly given guidelines, titled "creating a culture of compliance." The advice outlined in that document highlighted the importance of "optics," saying that officials should refrain from behavior that could appear outside their agency's mission.

A number of Cabinet-level officials in the Trump administration have faced scrutiny amid questions dealing with ethical behavior.

Pruitt faced backlash over first-class travel on official trips, while Zinke's travel is the subject of investigations by the Office of Special Counsel and the Interior Department's inspector general.

Carson has also come under fire for purchasing a $31,000 table for his office, an order he canceled last week, while a trip to Europe by Shulkin last summer was the subject of an inspector general's report. That report found that the VA secretary misused government resources.