Trump and Rubio Consider Dismissing US Ambassador to Greece

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, are considering the dismissal of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle following a series of reports alleging her involvement in inappropriate and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.

The Associated Press quoted a senior U.S. official on Sunday as saying, “Trump and Rubio are extremely upset about the behavior attributed to Guilfoyle, and they are likely to decide on the appropriate course of action this week, following the Columbus Day holiday on Monday.”

According to the official, who requested anonymity, “Rubio was particularly angry, especially since he visited Athens last week, where Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him with a warm hug upon his arrival, at a time when these allegations were circulating and gaining traction.”

In a series of journalistic reports, The Wall Street Journal revealed suspicious behavior by Guilfoyle, including “allegations of threatening a host-country official, accepting inappropriate gifts and services, and offering to leverage her influence within the U.S. administration in exchange for having a large credit card bill paid.”

Guilfoyle did not directly comment on these reports, but her lawyers denied in a statement issued late Sunday that she committed any wrongdoing. They claimed that the money she sought from a donor to Trump’s campaign was for services that included a public appearance and participation in speaking events prior to her nomination as ambassador, which had not yet been paid for.

The lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Bernal, also rejected allegations of misconduct regarding Guilfoyle’s travel on private jets, asserting that she “requested, obtained, and complied with State Department directives and travel regulations” before each such trip.

The lawyers stated, “Ambassador Guilfoyle has served and will continue to serve with integrity, honor, and distinction. We are currently exploring all available legal avenues to collect this debt and considering any other potential legal grounds for litigation.”

After initially defending Guilfoyle following the first report, Rubio refrained from publicly commenting on the growing allegations against her. Last Wednesday, Rubio stated, “She has been a strong ambassador for us.”

However, after another report emerged late Wednesday, Rubio reprimanded journalists on Thursday, just before departing Athens, for asking about these allegations, noting that he did not know the extent of their validity and would not comment unless he could verify them.

Speaking at the stairs of his plane, while Guilfoyle, who had come to see him off, watched, Rubio said, “You act as if merely being told something by a source and publishing it means it is an absolute, indisputable fact, but that is not the case for me. That is not how we operate.”

A U.S. official stated that Rubio’s frustration was growing with the succession of reports. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the State Department Inspector General is reviewing these allegations, which first appeared in The Journal late last month and have intensified since then.

The second official could not confirm whether the Inspector General had launched a formal investigation, as inspectors general often conduct informal inquiries into complaints against employees, which frequently do not lead to comprehensive investigations that could result in disciplinary actions, up to dismissal.

The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the possibility of an investigation by the Inspector General. Senior Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees—Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)—along with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, had already called for an investigation into Gilewicz.

Since late last September, The Wall Street Journal has published details about multiple instances of suspicious behavior attributed to Gilewicz. Its first report stated that she told guests at a reception that the United States could undermine the Greek government if it wished, promoted the business interests of a specific Greek construction and energy company, and allowed a representative of that company (a lobbyist) to attend private diplomatic meetings.

While Rubio was in Athens, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing text messages, that Gilewicz asked a donor and supporter of Donald Trump to pay a $100,000 credit card bill immediately before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did so.

The newspaper also reported that Gilewicz was furious at not being invited to a Greek-themed event held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year, and demanded to attend, while simultaneously boasting about luxury trips to France accompanied by executives from energy companies.

In another report, the British Daily Mail stated that Gilewicz caused resentment among staff at the U.S. Embassy in Athens and exceeded the bounds of appropriate conduct for a high-ranking representative.

Gilewicz is a former Fox News host and former California prosecutor, and was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr.