Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. Ambassador to Greece on Tuesday after the White House asked her to leave amid allegations of improper conduct before and during her tenure. President Donald Trump said the administration did not like what it had been reading about her, while Guilfoyle called the allegations false and said she would defend her name and reputation.
The accusations included a reported request for a $100,000 payment from Trump donor Eric Deters to cover a personal credit-card bill. The reported exchange allegedly involved offering access to senior administration officials in connection with Deters’ tax and legal concerns. Guilfoyle’s lawyer disputed the authenticity and characterization of the messages and said she was owed money for travel and speaking engagements.
Other allegations concerned Guilfoyle’s conduct in Athens and her contacts with private-sector figures. A Senate Foreign Relations Committee letter raised questions about lobbyist Christos Marafatsos repeatedly attending official meetings, possible advocacy for Greek construction and energy company Aktor, and whether private interests, gifts, transportation or hospitality were properly disclosed. The letter also cited claims that Guilfoyle discussed the possible collapse of Romania’s government and later met Romanian political figures while promoting the Vertical Gas Corridor and purchases of U.S. Liquefied natural gas.
The controversy prompted requests for investigations from Democrats leading the House and Senate foreign-policy committees. The State Department’s inspector general was reported to be examining the allegations, although the department did not confirm the status or scope of any formal investigation. The Senate letter asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review Guilfoyle’s actions and explain how the department would address possible conflicts of interest.
The White House’s request came after days of mounting political pressure. Trump had said Monday that officials were reviewing the matter and were unhappy, and Rubio declined to discuss the allegations during a visit to Greece. Greek opposition lawmakers urged the Foreign Ministry to summon Guilfoyle, while Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said she had been treated like other ambassadors and that a summons was unnecessary.
Her departure leaves the allegations unresolved while congressional inquiries and any inspector-general review continue. A former chief White House ethics lawyer, Richard Painter, discussed the allegations in a broadcast interview after Guilfoyle’s resignation.