President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of Wall Street Journal reports about her conduct in Athens, a senior U.S. official said Sunday. The official said a decision would likely come this week, after the Columbus Day holiday on Monday.
The official said Trump and Rubio were “extremely pissed off” by the reports. Rubio was especially angry, the official said, because Guilfoyle attended most of his events during a visit to Athens last week.
The Journal has reported an alleged threat to a host country official, improper gifts and services, and an offer to use her influence in the administration in exchange for payment of a $100,000 credit card bill. 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.
In a statement late Sunday, Guilfoyle’s lawyers denied she had done anything wrong. They said the money she sought from a Trump donor was payment for public appearances and speaking engagements that had not been paid. They also said she followed State Department guidance on private travel.
Rubio, who previously defended Guilfoyle, declined to discuss the allegations on Thursday and berated reporters for relying on unconfirmed sources. Several House and Senate Democrats have called for an investigation.
