White House has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece
By Alejandra Jaramillo, Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, CNN
(CNN) — The White House has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign from her position as US ambassador to Greece after a string of reports about alleged misconduct, the new press secretary said Tuesday.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Katie Zacharia said during her first press briefing.
“She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her luck,” Zacharia added.
Representatives for Guilfoyle did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
Her ouster comes following reports that she sought money in exchange for providing access to administration figures before she was confirmed to her position, accepted lavish gifts as ambassador and brought a lobbyist for a Greek construction company into official meetings.
Lawyers for Guilfoyle have denied the allegations about seeking money and said reports about her travel were misleading, adding that she complied with federal gift and reporting requirements.
Her ouster would mark a notable departure of a high-profile figure in the MAGA movement and someone who has remained close with the Trump family. Guilfoyle was engaged for four years to the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. After their split, she was tapped to serve as ambassador to Greece and took on the role in September 2025.
Eric Deters, a former Trump donor, said Guilfoyle asked him in a text message to wire her $100,000 to pay off an American Express card in the days before her Senate confirmation. She said she would be his “ride or die” in the Trump administration if he did it, Deters said.
“No question it was a quid pro quo,” Deters told CNN’s Jake Tapper last week.
Deters did not wire Guilfoyle the money, saying he didn’t have the liquid assets at the time.
Lawyers for Guilfoyle said in a statement to CNN that Deters owed Guilfoyle money for speeches and consulting work and called his statements false.
“When Ms. Guilfoyle was preparing to leave private life for public service, she did what any professional does and tried to close out her outstanding receivables. Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption. It is the opposite of corruption,” her lawyers wrote.
President Donald Trump confirmed Monday he was considering dismissing Guilfoyle.
“We’re looking at it — yeah. We’re not happy,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was traveling to Greece when the reports of her alleged “pay for play” scheme were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Guilfoyle attended multiple events with Rubio, and at the time he refused to comment on the reports. The Journal earlier reported on her alleged promotion of a Greek energy firm for regional energy deals.
During the trip to Athens, Rubio praised Guilfoyle as a “strong ambassador here” and rebuffed questions about the reports of her misconduct.
“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. It’s not the gospel for me. That’s not the way we do things,” Rubio said before he boarded his plane to leave the country, with Guilfoyle looking on.
The reports triggered questions and calls for investigations from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for Guilfoyle to come before the committee and said that “it must be determined whether Ambassador Guilfoyle solicited funds from any other source.”
Following Tuesday’s announcement that Guilfoyle had been asked to resign, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats noted that “resigning does not shield her from accountability.
“Guilfoyle used her position as a Trump official to get rich, while American families struggle with the cost of living,” the committee wrote on X. “Congress must conduct oversight to understand how this happened and hold the admin accountable.”
The State Department’s Office of the Inspector General is investigating Guilfoyle amid the misconduct allegations, according to source familiar with the effort.
“As a matter of policy, OIG does not confirm, deny, or comment on investigative matters,” an inspector general spokesperson said.
It is unclear what will happen with the investigation following her ouster. According to a source familiar with the workings of inspector general offices, it may depend on whether the Department of Justice opens an investigation into her alleged misconduct. If not, the State Department inspector general may continue its work, but its findings could take a year or so to complete.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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