WASHINGTON
Kimberly Guilfoyle has been asked to resign from her post as U.S. ambassador to Greece, White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia announced today, citing misconduct allegations during her tenure.
The resignation request follows a detailing claims that Guilfoyle accepted improper gifts and sought payment for her credit card bill in exchange for access to Trump administration officials.
President Donald Trump said he has not spoken to Guilfoyle about the matter. "I didn't like what I read," Trump told reporters, adding that Guilfoyle dated his son years ago.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio grew visibly frustrated when asked about the allegations during a visit to Athens last week. "You guys somehow walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it's the gospel. It's not the gospel," Rubio said.
Guilfoyle rejected all allegations in a social media post, saying she will "vigorously defend her name, reputation and integrity." The State Department's inspector general's office has not commented on reports of an investigation.
Retired Ambassador Eric Rubin, who previously led the State Department's union, said the situation "looks bad for the United States." He added: "I think Europeans are snickering. I think there are people in Greece who are snickering, and that's not good for us. We should have somebody who's respected and who carries the weight of the position."
Rubin highlighted a broader staffing shift in the Trump administration. Historically, about 60 percent of U.S. ambassadors were career Foreign Service officers. That figure has dropped to about 5 percent under Trump, who has appointed mostly political allies, donors and friends to ambassador posts.
Congr. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, vowed to press for investigations into Guilfoyle's conduct. "Serving as a U.S. ambassador is a position of public trust, not a business opportunity," Meeks told NPR.
