Guilfoyle Exits Athens Post Days After Donor Alleges She Sought $100,000 Card Payment
Trump’s ambassador to Greece resigned at the White House’s request. She denies wrongdoing, and a State Department watchdog is reportedly examining her tenure.
WASHINGTON — Kimberly Guilfoyle’s time as America’s top diplomat in Athens ended Tuesday, less than a year after she presented her credentials. The White House asked her to leave, and she announced her resignation in a social media post less than two hours later. The exit followed a week of reports about her conduct, and it leaves an open ambassadorship in a country the administration has called strategically important. (CBS News)
A briefing room surprise
The news came from the podium. At her first briefing as White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia was asked about Guilfoyle’s status. She replied that the administration had asked the ambassador to resign, calling her “a wonderful asset to the team.” (CBS News)
President Donald Trump confirmed it soon after. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn as he left to campaign in Alaska, he said he had not spoken with her, that “she will not be there” and that he “didn’t like what I read.” A day earlier, Trump had said he was “looking at” firing her, adding that “we’re not happy.” (CBS News) (Axios)
Guilfoyle’s online statement was defiant. She thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said her commitment to the “America First movement” would not end, and denied the allegations. The Associated Press reported she vowed to “vigorously defend” herself. Two sources told CBS News she had shown reluctance to step down in recent days, but the briefing left her little choice. (Kimberly Guilfoyle ousted as ambassador to Greece over corruption allegations – CBS News +2)
The allegation at the center
The most serious claim comes from Eric Deters, a businessman and Trump supporter. He told CBS News that in July 2025, while Guilfoyle awaited Senate confirmation, she asked him to wire $100,000 to her American Express account. He said the purpose was to keep the debt off her financial disclosures. Deters said he had been seeking her help getting access to administration officials, including the attorney general and the IRS commissioner. (CBS News) (CBS News)
Deters has used blunt language. He told NBC News he viewed the request as a “quid pro quo.” He said he never paid, telling CBS he did not have that kind of money to spare and made up an excuse. The Wall Street Journal first reported the text messages, and NBC News said Deters gave it a document of texts and Signal messages. One appears to show Guilfoyle telling him to wire the money straight to the card company so it “won’t show up anywhere.” (Kimberly Guilfoyle resigns as U.S. ambassador to Greece after report she asked donor to pay her $100K credit card bill +2)
Guilfoyle’s camp has disputed the evidence. Her lawyer initially told the Journal she questioned whether the messages were authentic, and the Journal later reported she tried to persuade White House officials the texts were AI-generated. Sources told CBS News the White House was informed the messages were genuine. Independent verification of the texts beyond these news reports has not been made public, and Guilfoyle has not been charged with anything. (yahoo) (CBS News)
Other reports piled up
The card-bill story was not the only one. The Journal also reported that at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Guilfoyle boasted about Greek tycoons paying for her luxury travel and was furious at being left off a dinner for Eric Trump. Axios noted that her lawyer disputed the authenticity of the messages the Journal cited. (CBS News) (CBS News)
Questions about her conduct had also reached the State Department’s internal oversight office. NBC News reported that two people familiar with the matter said the Office of the Inspector General is investigating both Guilfoyle and the embassy she led. The inspector general’s office says it does not confirm or comment on investigations, and the State Department declined to comment. (nbcwashington)
A separate Daily Mail report, relayed by Raw Story, said congressional Democrats have asked Rubio to examine whether Guilfoyle gave an energy lobbyist access to high-level meetings and accepted luxury travel on private aircraft. Her attorney, Jesse Binnall, said any suggestion of wrongdoing by the ambassador is “unsupported.” PBS reported that House Democrats have also asked Guilfoyle for records related to the alleged pay-to-play scheme. I could not independently confirm the Daily Mail’s account, so readers should treat it with caution. (rawstory) (PBS)
A fast reversal at the top
Guilfoyle’s standing inside the administration fell quickly. As recently as Oct. 7, Rubio publicly defended her during a visit to Athens, calling her “a strong ambassador.” Within a week, she was out, and CBS reported she has few remaining allies in the administration. Her former fiancé, Donald Trump Jr., remains polite but no longer has much contact with her, sources said. (Axios) (CBS News)
Who she is, and what comes next
Guilfoyle, 57, is a former Fox News host and California prosecutor. She was formerly married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr. Trump nominated her in December 2024. The Senate confirmed her in September 2025, and she held the post for nearly a year. (Kimberly Guilfoyle resigns as ambassador to Greece after allegations of misconduct – ABC News +3)
For now, no successor is in sight. CBS reported that no names were circulating at the White House on Tuesday. That gap comes as Washington leans on Athens for cooperation on regional issues, which makes the vacancy more than a personnel footnote. Whoever fills it will need Senate confirmation, a process that could stretch for months and could draw extra scrutiny on how the administration vets political appointees. (CBS News)
The unresolved questions are legal and political. The inspector general’s work, if it continues, could produce findings, and congressional Democrats have signaled they want answers. Guilfoyle says she will fight the accusations. Until investigators or a court weigh in, the allegations remain just that, backed by text messages and a donor’s account that she disputes.
