President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging improper conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.
A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that Trump and Rubio are 'extremely pissed off' and would likely decide what action to take this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. No departure has been confirmed.
The most damaging allegation came from The Wall Street Journal, which reported that Guilfoyle asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay off a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing. According to messages reviewed by the Journal, Guilfoyle urged Deters to wire the money directly to American Express, saying the transaction would not leave a paper trail, while offering to help him gain access to senior Trump administration officials. Deters said he never made the payment.
Guilfoyle’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages.
The Journal also reported earlier allegations involving Guilfoyle’s conduct in Greece, including claims that she promoted the interests of Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group and allowed its registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, to attend private diplomatic meetings with senior officials. Another report said she suggested at a dinner with Greek officials that the U.S. would undermine their government, though Greece’s foreign minister later said there was no need to summon her because the country’s energy minister denied any threat had been made.
Fortune reported that Rubio had been particularly angry, noting that he visited Athens last week while the allegations were unfolding. The report said Rubio declined to comment publicly after defending Guilfoyle in an earlier appearance, and later told journalists that he did not know if the allegations were true.
A second U.S. official said the State Department’s inspector general is looking into the allegations, which have expanded to include treatment of embassy employees, private travel, acceptance of gifts and relationships with business figures. The State Department declined to comment on a potential inspector general investigation.
The numbers come first. This is what happens when access starts looking like a currency and government office starts looking like a private favor machine. The taxpayer deserves better than an ambassador who may have treated diplomatic influence as leverage.
Capital rewards clear rules, not side deals and paper-trail games. If the allegations are sustained, the real damage is bigger than one posting in Athens: it is another reminder that public service only works when the administrative state answers to standards, not personalities.
