The Trump administration has requested that Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, resign following allegations of misconduct, influence peddling, and financial impropriety. White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the request, stating: “We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.”
The most serious claims, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on October 8, center on donor Eric Deters. Citing Signal messages, the report detailed that in July 2025—days before Guilfoyle’s Senate confirmation hearing—she pressured Deters to pay off a $100,000 American Express bill, assuring him the transfer would not appear on record. “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,” she wrote, according to the report. Guilfoyle reportedly offered to leverage her influence over his tax and legal matters in exchange for the payment, stating she had contacted IRS commissioners and justice department officials on his behalf.
Deters has stated he paid Guilfoyle approximately $300,000 over years without receiving “one favor,” calling the request “absolutely a quid pro quo” during an interview with MS NOW. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Guilfoyle, previously Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr.’s former fiancée, accepted improper gifts and services, made an alleged threat to a host-country official, and promoted interests of Greek company Aktor during official engagements.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers, Jesse Binnall and David Schwartz, disputed the authenticity of the alleged messages, asserting that any funds sought from Deters represented payment for prior speaking engagements and public appearances that predated her ambassadorial nomination. They also denied improprieties related to her private plane travel, stating she “sought, obtained and followed State Department guidance” before each trip.
The administration’s announcement follows President Trump describing the situation as “not happy.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly been “extremely pissed off” about Guilfoyle’s alleged conduct. After initially defending Guilfoyle—stating her work “has been strong”—Rubio later avoided direct comment on subsequent reports, telling journalists at an Athens airport Thursday: “You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel. It’s not the gospel.”