President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration was considering firing Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, after a series of reports alleged improper conduct before and during her tenure.
“Well, we’re looking at it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, according to The Associated Press. “We’re not happy.” No dismissal had been announced.
AP reported a day earlier that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were angry about the allegations and likely to decide Guilfoyle’s future during the week, citing an unnamed senior U.S. official.
What Guilfoyle is accused of
The Wall Street Journal has published several reports alleging that Guilfoyle threatened a host-country official, accepted improper gifts or services and offered to use her influence in exchange for payment of a large credit-card bill, AP reported.
The Financial Times said the Journal also reported that Guilfoyle promoted a Greek energy group that paid for her private-jet travel and that she offered to help a wealthy donor if he paid a $100,000 American Express bill.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers denied wrongdoing. In a statement described by AP, they said the payment she sought concerned unpaid public appearances and speaking engagements that predated her ambassadorial nomination. They also said she obtained and followed State Department guidance for private-plane travel.
What happens next
A second unnamed U.S. official told AP that the State Department’s inspector general was looking into the allegations. The official could not say whether a formal investigation had begun, and the department declined to comment.
Rubio called Guilfoyle “a strong ambassador” on Wednesday. The next day, he said he did not know whether the allegations were true and criticized reporters for treating anonymous sourcing as confirmed. The Guardian reported that congressional Democrats had called for an investigation.
Trump’s comments leave Guilfoyle’s position unresolved.
