Kimberly Guilfoyle Resigns as Ambassador to Greece After Trump Asked Her To Go

Kimberly Guilfoyle has resigned as U.S. Ambassador to Greece after the new White House Press Secretary disclosed that President Trump had asked her to step down. Ms. Guilfoyle ends her tenure amid controversy over allegations that she pressured a political donor to pay off a personal debt before her Senate confirmation hearing last year.Ms. Guilfoyle announced her resignation in a social media post on Tuesday, writing, “While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end.”She also used the post to her 2.2 million followers to push back against the claims swirling around her, saying, “I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity. I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.”The resignation came shortly after the new White House Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia, confirmed to reporters that the Trump administration had requested Ms. Guilfoyle step down. The previous day, President Trump told reporters he was considering her removal.Ms. Guilfoyle, formerly engaged to Donald Trump Jr., has faced mounting scrutiny following a Wall Street Journal report last week that revealed messages between her and Eric Deters, a Republican donor. According to the report, Ms. Guilfoyle urged Mr. Deters to wire her $100,000 via American Express.Ms. Guilfoyle’s legal team has challenged the authenticity of the communications cited in the Journal’s reporting, asserting instead that the funds represented payment owed to her for speaking engagements prior to her nomination—a claim Mr. Deters has denied.Shortly after the first report was published, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Gregory Meeks, demanded that Secretary of State Marco Rubio conduct an investigation into Ms. Guilfoyle. Mr. Meeks specifically sought answers about Ms. Guilfoyle’s relationship with a lobbyist for a Greek construction firm, the Aktor Group, as well as comments she allegedly made about America being about to impact the governing coalitions of European governments. Ms. Guilfoyle has remained silent on recent reports swirling around her conduct, but her attorneys moved to address the controversy head-on in a statement issued late Sunday. The statement firmly denied any wrongdoing on Ms. Guilfoyle’s part, asserting that the funds she sought from a Trump donor were legitimate payment for prior work.According to her lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, the money in question was compensation for “public appearances and speaking engagements that predate her ambassadorial nomination” — services they say had gone unpaid.The attorneys also pushed back against claims of impropriety tied to Ms. Guilfoyle’s use of private aircraft. They maintained that she followed proper protocol every time, stating that before each trip she “sought, obtained and followed State Department guidance and followed the Department’s travel regulations.”Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who publicly backed Ms. Guilfoyle when the controversy first surfaced, has since gone quiet on the matter. His most recent comment, offered last week, was brief: “Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”Meanwhile, a U.S. official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, confirmed that the State Department’s inspector general is examining the allegations. It remains unclear whether a formal investigation by the inspector general has officially begun. Such inquiries are often preliminary in nature, and many never escalate into full investigations. When they do, however, the consequences can be severe — ranging from disciplinary action to outright dismissal.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Resigns as Ambassador to Greece After Trump Asked Her To Go

Kimberly Guilfoyle Resigns as Ambassador to Greece After Trump Asked Her To Go

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