Trump, Rubio mull firing Kimberly Guilfoyle after reports of improper conduct

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are contemplating firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after various reports alleging she engaged in improper and potentially illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.

The Associated Press reported, citing a senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that Trump and Rubio are angered by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would decide on what action to take this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday.

Rubio reportedly was specifically irate, not least because he visited Athens, Greece last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the accusations circulated. 

Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged improper conduct

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In a string of stories. The Wall Street Journal reported questionable conduct by Kimberly Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the Trump administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.

Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly, but in a statement released late Sunday obtained by The Associated Press, her attorneys denied any wrongdoing by Guilfoyle and alleged that the money she was requesting from the Trump donor was payment for services like public appearances and speaking engagements that predate her ambassadorial nomination that had not been paid.

RELATED: Kimberly Guilfoyle reportedly begged Trump donor to pay her $100K credit card bill: WSJ

Guilfoyle’s attorneys, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, also spurned accusations of impropriety related to Guilfoyle’s travel on private planes, telling the AP that before every such trip she "sought, obtained and followed State Department guidance and followed the Department’s travel regulations," they said.

The AP noted that a second U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said the State Department’s inspector general is assessing the allegations.

The second official could not say if a formal IG probe had started. According to the AO, the inspectors general often perform informal inquiries into complaints against staffers, and those inquiries do not result in a full-on probe, which can result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

The Wall Street Journal since September reported information of questionable behavior by Guilfoyle. According to the news outlets reporting, Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the United States could undermine the Greek government if it wanted to, promote the business interests of one Greek construction and energy company, and allow its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.

While Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Athens, Greece, the Wall Street Journal reported — referencing text messages — that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor and supporter to pay a $100,000 credit card bill just before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did.

The news outlet also reported that Guilfoyle was incensed about not being invited to a Greek-themed event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year and demanded to attend while bragging about luxury travel to France with energy company executives.

According to the AP, Guilfoyle is a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to President Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr.

 

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