Kimberly Guilfoyle’s diplomatic career could be headed for an abrupt exit amid allegations that she asked a Trump donor to cover a six-figure credit card bill while offering help securing access to administration officials.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly considering removing the U.S. ambassador to Greece as questions mount over her financial dealings and conduct in Athens.
Fox News reported Sunday that a senior U.S. official described Trump and Rubio as “extremely pissed off,” citing an Associated Press report. The official said a decision would likely come this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. No dismissal has been confirmed.
CNN separately reported that Trump is weighing Guilfoyle’s removal, citing a person familiar with the matter who said the president has been monitoring the allegations and is expected to decide soon.
The Credit Card Request
At the center of the controversy is a Wall Street Journal investigation into Guilfoyle’s communications with Eric Deters, a Trump donor and former Kentucky congressional candidate.
According to messages reviewed by the Journal, Guilfoyle asked Deters to send $100,000 directly to American Express shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing. She allegedly presented the arrangement as a way to avoid a visible paper trail while offering assistance reaching senior administration officials.
Deters said he never made the payment. Guilfoyle’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages, according to Fox News.
Her legal team also offered an explanation for the financial dispute. In a statement to CNN, her lawyers said Deters owed Guilfoyle money for speeches and consulting work performed before she entered public service. They characterized her efforts as collecting outstanding payments and rejected his accusations.
“Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption,” her lawyers told CNN.
Questions About Her Conduct In Greece
The donor allegations follow scrutiny of Guilfoyle’s dealings with Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group.
As detailed in the Fox News article, an earlier Journal investigation reported that Guilfoyle promoted the company’s interests and brought its registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, into private diplomatic meetings with senior officials.
The Journal also alleged that Guilfoyle suggested during a dinner with Greek officials that Washington could undermine their government. That account is disputed: Greece’s foreign minister said there was no need to summon her for an explanation because the country’s energy minister denied that a threat had been made.
NBC News reported Friday that the State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating Guilfoyle and the embassy she leads, citing two people familiar with the decision.
Fox News, citing the Daily Mail, described additional allegations involving embassy employees, private travel, gifts and business relationships. Those claims included threats to fire staff and demotions of security personnel over minor incidents.
The inspector general’s office declined to confirm or deny an investigation. Binnall told the Daily Mail that “any implication of wrongdoing by the Ambassador is unsupported,” according to Fox News.
Public Defense, Private Deliberations
Rubio publicly defended Guilfoyle’s performance during his visit to Greece last week.
“Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here,” he said Wednesday, according to Fox News. The following day, he pushed back on reporters treating anonymously sourced allegations as established facts.
Vice President JD Vance also urged caution Friday while leaving open the possibility of consequences.
“Let’s actually see what the facts are. Let’s see what the truth is,” Vance told reporters in Ohio, according to Fox News. He added that misconduct, if established, should carry consequences.
Congressional Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, have called for a review. Meeks urged Guilfoyle’s removal if the allegations are substantiated, Fox News reported.
Trump nominated Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor, Fox News personality and campaign fundraiser, in December 2024—the same month her split from Donald Trump Jr. became public.
Now, the former fiancée of the president’s eldest son faces an uncertain future in an administration whose senior leaders are reportedly weighing whether she should remain in Athens.
