Trump ousts Greece ambassador over ethics scandal

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—United States (US) President Donald Trump forced his ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, out of the administration on Tuesday, amid allegations that she sought money from one of his supporters and accepted lavish hospitality from wealthy Greek businessmen. "We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign," Trump's new press secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters at her first White House briefing. The announcement came a day after Trump acknowledged that he was considering dismissing Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and ex-fiancée of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. "She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading," Trump told reporters after the announcement, adding that he had not spoken to her, but that "she will not be there." In a statement on X, Guilfoyle rejected the allegations against her and defended her record as ambassador, highlighting efforts to boost US energy exports and strengthen security ties with Greece. "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity," she wrote. Guilfoyle thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pledging her continued loyalty to the president while acknowledging that her time as ambassador "may be coming to an end." Guilfoyle has faced mounting scrutiny following a series of reports by The Wall Street Journal about her financial dealings and relationships with wealthy businessmen. The newspaper reported that she asked Eric Deters, an influential Trump supporter, to pay off $100,000 in personal credit card debt shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. She requested he complete the transaction through a wire transfer so as not to leave a paper trail, the paper said. "Honey please I need you to get this done for me today," she wrote to Deters in a message accompanied by instructions for paying her credit card company, according to the Journal, which published screenshots of the exchanges. - Luxury trips - Deters refused to make the payment, telling the newspaper that doing so would have cost him his marriage. Guilfoyle's lawyer has disputed the authenticity of the messages and denied wrongdoing. The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle boasted of luxury trips and hotel stays funded by wealthy Greek businessmen, citing hundreds of messages, emails and other records, including recorded conversations. She traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, aboard a private jet with Alexandros Exarchou, chief executive of Greek construction company Aktor Group, according to the newspaper. Guilfoyle also spent Christmas at the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Gstaad with Greek shipping magnate Nikolas Tsakos, and stayed at a luxury Paris hotel on a trip with him, with Tsakos footing the bill, the Journal reported. The State Department's inspector general is investigating whether Guilfoyle received improper gifts, according to US media reports. The revelations emerged as Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Europe last week, including a stop in Athens, where he declined to comment on the allegations. Guilfoyle, a prominent figure in Trump's Make America Great Again movement, was appointed ambassador after her engagement to Donald Trump Jr. ended. A former prosecutor and television commentator, she was previously married to California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.