The Trump administration is weighing whether to recall U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle from her post as fresh allegations surface that she accepted luxury travel from wealthy Greek businessmen while leveraging her diplomatic position to advance their commercial interests, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.
Senior administration officials have been discussing Guilfoyle’s status, and President Trump is expected to make a decision shortly, the Journal reported. The State Department’s inspector general has also opened an inquiry into whether the ambassador accepted gifts or favors from private businessmen, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the Journal.
The scrutiny intensified after an audio recording reviewed by the Journal captured Guilfoyle at January’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, boasting about her connections to wealthy businessmen while seeking an invitation from an American businessman to a dinner honoring Eric Trump, the president’s son. “You know, I can deliver the world to you. Which you deserve,” Guilfoyle said on the recording. “I’m going to make you a lot of f—ing money.”
The Journal’s reporting centers on Guilfoyle’s relationships with two prominent Greek business figures who allegedly provided her with private jet travel and other luxury accommodations. She spoke about flying to Davos on a private jet with Alexandros Exarchou, CEO of the Greek construction company Aktor Group, and previously encouraged governments across southeastern Europe to purchase billions of dollars in American natural gas through Exarchou’s company, the Journal reported. She also described plans to travel to Paris with Greek shipping mogul Nikolas Tsakos, who later paid for her stay at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, according to the Journal.
The U.S. Embassy in Athens defended Guilfoyle in a statement to the Journal, saying she had “faithfully followed State Department ethics and gift reporting guidelines.” The Hill has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
The inspector general’s probe follows separate accusations from Eric Deters, a former attorney and longtime Trump ally, who claimed Guilfoyle requested $100,000 from him to pay off her American Express bill days before her confirmation hearing last year. In exchange, Deters alleged, she would lobby top administration officials on his behalf. That allegation has added to the mounting ethics questions surrounding Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality and ex-fiancée of Donald Trump Jr.
The controversy comes as the Guilfoyle scandal deepens, with both Trump and Vice President JD Vance declining to endorse her. The administration’s handling of the matter is being closely watched, particularly as it intersects with broader press freedom battles and other pre-midterm controversies that have consumed the White House in recent weeks.
Guilfoyle’s potential removal would mark a significant shake-up in a key diplomatic post at a time of heightened tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The administration has not indicated when a final decision will be made, but officials familiar with the discussions say the president could act soon.
