US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle Faces Potential Dismissal Amid Conduct Probes

Former President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly weighing the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle following multiple allegations that she engaged in improper and potentially illegal behavior both prior to and during her diplomatic assignment in Athens.

A senior U.S. official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely pissed off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and are expected to decide on potential action this week, following Monday’s federal holiday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio had been especially irate, partly because he had just visited Athens the previous week where Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him with a bear hug as the allegations mounted.

The Wall Street Journal has published a series of stories detailing questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host‑country official, acceptance of improper gifts and services, and an offer to use her influence within the administration in exchange for payment of a sizable credit‑card bill.

Guilfoyle has not commented directly on the reports, though her attorney maintains she did nothing wrong, and the U.S. Embassy in Athens has tacitly expressed support for her.

After initially defending Guilfoyle following the first report, Rubio has declined to comment publicly on the escalating allegations. On Wednesday, he said, “Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”

However, after another report surfaced late Wednesday, Rubio on Thursday—while departing Athens—reprimanded journalists who inquired about the allegations, stating he could not confirm their veracity and would not respond unless he could verify them.

The official said Rubio’s frustration had grown increasingly evident as the reports multiplied.

A second U.S. official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said the State Department’s Inspector General is examining the allegations, which first appeared in the Journal late last month and have since multiplied.

The second official could not confirm whether a formal Inspector General investigation had been initiated. Inspectors general routinely conduct informal inquiries into staff complaints, and many such inquiries do not advance to full investigations, which could lead to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

The State Department has declined to comment on a possible Inspector General investigation.

The leading Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, along with the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Representative Robert Garcia of California, have already called for an investigation into Guilfoyle.

Since late September, The Wall Street Journal has detailed numerous accounts of questionable conduct by Guilfoyle. Its initial report alleged that she told guests at a reception the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of a specific Greek construction and energy firm, and permitted its lobbyist to attend private diplomatic meetings.

While Rubio was in Athens, the Journal reported—citing text messages—that Guilfoyle had asked a Trump donor and supporter to pay a $100,000 credit‑card bill shortly before her confirmation hearing, promising the donor access to administration officials in return.

The Journal subsequently reported that Guilfoyle had been furious about not being invited to a Greek‑themed event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year, demanding to attend the gathering while boasting about luxury travel to France with energy‑company executives.

A further report, from the British tabloid The Daily Mail, alleged that Guilfoyle had alienated staff at the U.S. Embassy in Athens and pushed the boundaries of behavior expected of the nation’s top representative in Greece.

Guilfoyle is a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

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