A $100,000 request. Why did Trump abandon his ambassador to Greece?
The US Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has resigned at the request of the White House. This was triggered by investigations by The Wall Street Journal, which stated that the ambassador offered access to Trump administration officials in exchange for money, gifts, and services. Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Trump's son, denies the allegations.
A $100,000 request. Why did Trump abandon his ambassador to Greece?
Kimberly Guilfoyle has for many years been one of the most prominent figures around US President Donald Trump. She worked as a prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles, then became famous as a Fox News host. She was once married to current California Governor Gavin Newsom, and later got engaged to the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
The 57-year-old Guilfoyle was one of the first ambassadors nominated for Trump's second term. The US Senate confirmed her in September 2025, and she arrived in Athens on November 1. That is, she did not even work as ambassador for a year. Now she is leaving the post following a major scandal.
The decisive moment occurred on October 13 during a briefing at the White House.
The new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, answered a question on this topic at her first briefing:
"We asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a very valued employee for the team, we wish her luck."
Corruption scandals: Why was the ambassador dismissed?
Guilfoyle's downfall began a few weeks ago. In September, the Wall Street Journal wrote about the ambassador's potential conflict of interest related to energy deals in the Balkans. In early October, the process accelerated, and the newspaper published new materials. The main allegations in them can be divided into three groups, though none of them have yet been officially proven.
The first is closeness to Greek business. According to the WSJ, the ambassador brought Christos Marafatsos, a lobbyist for a construction and energy company named Aktor, into meetings with foreign officials. She actively promoted a 20-year deal for a joint venture involving Aktor to purchase American liquefied gas in South-Eastern European countries.
The ambassador also flew on the private jets of Greek entrepreneurs. An attorney for Aktor stated that "the ambassador has always promoted the interests of the United States."