US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has rejected allegations of improper conduct, disputing reports about a $100,000 credit card payment request, private aircraft travel and her relationships with wealthy business figures as questions grow over her future in the diplomatic post.
In a statement issued by her New York lawyers, David M. Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, Guilfoyle denied wrongdoing and challenged a series of reports published by The Wall Street Journal concerning her conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.
The controversy has attracted attention in both Washington and Greece, with the allegations touching on financial arrangements, diplomatic ethics and a reported exchange involving the Greek government.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers maintain that the financial dispute concerns unpaid fees for professional services performed before she entered public service. They also say she complied with applicable rules governing private travel, gifts and financial disclosures.
The allegations remain contested, and Guilfoyle’s response presents a substantially different account from that outlined in the newspaper’s reporting.
Guilfoyle’s Lawyers Dispute $100,000 Payment Allegation
One of the central allegations concerns a reported request by Guilfoyle for Trump supporter and Kentucky attorney Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in 2025.
The Wall Street Journal reported that messages it reviewed showed Guilfoyle asking Deters to transfer the money. The newspaper also reported that she offered access to senior figures in the Trump administration in connection with the arrangement.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers dispute that interpretation.
According to eKathimerini, the lawyers said Deters owed their client approximately $150,000 for speaking engagements and consulting work carried out in 2024 and early 2025, before her nomination as ambassador.
They said Deters had signed a $200,000 agreement with a booking agency representing Guilfoyle for strategic communications and fundraising consultancy but had failed to pay the full amount.
The lawyers described Deters as “a delinquent client being asked to pay an overdue bill”.
“Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption. It is the opposite of corruption,” they said, adding that they were exploring legal options to recover the outstanding money.
The lawyers’ account directly challenges the suggestion that the payment request involved an improper exchange for political access.
The competing accounts have not been resolved by a final legal finding. The existence of a disputed payment request does not, by itself, establish corruption, while the lawyers’ explanation remains a claim that must be assessed against the available evidence.
Private Jets, Luxury Travel and Greek Business Figures
Guilfoyle is also facing scrutiny over reports concerning private aircraft travel and luxury accommodation.
In a separate report published on October 10, The Wall Street Journal alleged that Guilfoyle spoke about private jet trips and luxury hotel stays at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, with travel reportedly funded by wealthy Greek business figures.
The newspaper identified Aktor Group chief executive Alexandros Exarchou and shipping executive Nikolas Tsakos among the businessmen associated with the reported arrangements. It also raised questions about Guilfoyle’s promotion of commercial energy interests during her diplomatic activities.
Her lawyers rejected allegations of improper travel arrangements, saying she sought and followed State Department guidance before using private aircraft and complied with applicable federal ethics, gift and reporting requirements.
The distinction is important: the reports raise questions about the circumstances of the travel and any potential connections to business interests, while Guilfoyle’s representatives maintain that the arrangements complied with government rules.
The issues may require further examination to establish whether any relevant ethics or disclosure requirements were breached.
Alleged Remarks About Greece’s Government
The financial and travel allegations follow a separate controversy over comments reportedly made by Guilfoyle during a dinner in Athens in March 2026.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the ambassador allegedly referred to political developments in Romania and suggested that the United States could bring about a similar outcome in Greece.
The words attributed to her were: “We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here.”
The report prompted concern in Greece because of the implications for national sovereignty and the relationship between two NATO allies.
However, Greek officials who were reportedly present have publicly disputed the account.
New Democracy general secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis told Kathimerini that he was present at the dinner and that no threat against Greece had been made.
“I was right there. There was no threat to Greece,” he said.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis also rejected the suggestion that the Greek government had been threatened, saying there had never been an issue of pressure against the country.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis subsequently rejected calls to summon Guilfoyle to the Foreign Ministry, pointing to Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou’s denial that any threat had been made.
Guilfoyle’s lawyer has also disputed the newspaper’s account of the exchange.
The alleged remarks therefore remain contested. The public denials by Greek officials are an important part of the record and should be considered alongside the original reporting.
US-Greek Energy Cooperation Under the Spotlight
The controversy comes as the United States and Greece continue to expand cooperation on energy, defence and regional security.
Guilfoyle has highlighted American energy exports and Greece’s role as a gateway for natural gas supplies into Central and Eastern Europe as priorities of her ambassadorship.
In November 2025, Athens hosted the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation conference, bringing together government representatives and energy industry executives to discuss regional energy security.
A key development was a 20-year liquefied natural gas supply agreement between US producer Venture Global and Greek company Atlantic-See LNG.
The original agreement provided for a minimum of 500,000 tonnes of American LNG annually from 2030. In June 2026, the companies announced an expansion that doubled the minimum contracted volume to one million tonnes a year.
The deal supports Greece’s ambitions to strengthen its position as an energy hub and expand gas supplies to markets further north through regional infrastructure, including the Vertical Corridor.
Separately, American energy companies ExxonMobil and Chevron have advanced exploration activities and agreements involving Greek waters.
These initiatives form part of a broader strategic relationship that also encompasses defence cooperation, investment and maritime security.
However, the commercial and diplomatic benefits of US-Greek cooperation are separate from the questions surrounding Guilfoyle’s personal conduct and any potential conflicts of interest.
Washington Weighs Guilfoyle’s Future
The allegations have also raised questions about Guilfoyle’s future as ambassador.
The Associated Press reported on October 12 that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were considering whether to remove her from the post following the mounting reports.
The report indicated that senior administration figures were dissatisfied with the allegations and were weighing their options. Any potential decision would be separate from the question of whether individual allegations have been substantiated.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers have defended her record, saying she has prioritised American energy interests, the strategic partnership with Greece and the promotion of US exports.
They said she had served “with integrity, honor and distinction” and would continue to do so.
The allegations have also attracted attention in Congress. Democratic lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have called for scrutiny of her conduct, including the reported exchange in Athens and questions surrounding business interests linked to her diplomatic activities.
Allegations and Diplomatic Record Must Be Examined Separately
Guilfoyle’s position places her at the centre of a strategically important relationship. Greece is a key NATO ally, hosts significant US military facilities and plays an increasingly important role in energy infrastructure connecting the Eastern Mediterranean with wider European markets.
The controversy has therefore extended beyond questions about an individual ambassador to broader concerns about diplomatic ethics, transparency and the management of private relationships while serving in public office.
Guilfoyle has rejected the allegations and offered explanations for the disputed financial arrangement and her travel. Those explanations should be reported alongside the claims, just as the allegations should not be treated as proven misconduct without supporting findings.
The outcome will depend on the available evidence and any conclusions reached through appropriate official or legal processes.
For Greece, the wider US relationship remains strategically significant. The immediate question is whether the allegations against Washington’s representative in Athens can be resolved clearly enough to maintain confidence in the conduct of the diplomatic mission.
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