Trump, Rubio weigh firing Greece envoy Guilfoyle over misconduct reports
The U.S. ambassador in Athens allegedly accepted improper gifts and asked a donor to pay a credit card bill, the Wall Street Journal reported. Her lawyers deny any wrongdoing.
Archive image · Photo: U. S. Embassy & Consulate in Greece / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official said both men were deeply angered by reports about her conduct and that a decision was likely after Monday's Columbus Day holiday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle threatened a Greek government official, accepted improper gifts and services, and, before her Senate confirmation hearing, asked a Trump donor to pay a $100,000 credit card bill while promising him access to administration officials. A second official said the State Department's inspector general is looking into the allegations, though it was unclear whether a formal probe had begun.
Guilfoyle's lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, denied wrongdoing, saying the money was unpaid compensation for appearances before her nomination and that her private travel followed State Department guidance. Rubio had called her "a strong ambassador" during his visit to Athens. Democrats Gregory Meeks, Jeanne Shaheen and Robert Garcia have called for an investigation.