Washington, Oct 13 (IANS) Former Ambassador of the US to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle on Tuesday called the allegations against her “false” and signalled that her tenure was ending, after the White House said it had asked her to resign.
“I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” Guilfoyle said in a statement said on social media platform X.
“I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service,” she added.
“While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end,” she said.
Guilfoyle thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying serving as ambassador “has been the honour of a lifetime”.
“I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world,” she said.
She listed what she described as the achievements of her tenure.
“During my tenure, we have helped secure historic agreements to expand American liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, advanced the Vertical Corridor to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, strengthened our defence and security partnership with a critical NATO ally, and expanded opportunities for American businesses and investment throughout the region,” she said.
“My gratitude and respect for President Trump and Secretary Rubio remain unwavering,” Guilfoyle said, adding that she would “always be a loyal supporter of President Trump and his mission to Make America Great Again”.
She also thanked “the people of Greece for their hospitality, partnership, and welcoming me with open arms”.
Earlier on Tuesday, new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters at her first briefing that the administration had asked Guilfoyle to step down.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” Zacharia said.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn before leaving for Alaska, Trump said he had not spoken to Guilfoyle.
“I didn’t speak to her, no. But she will not be there. I didn’t like what I read,” the US President added.
“She went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading,” he said.
Asked about her past ties to his family, Trump said: “She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago.”
The resignation request follows reports that Guilfoyle asked businessman Eric Deters for $100,000 to pay her American Express bill in July 2025.
Deters described the request to CBS News as “pay to play”.
Guilfoyle’s representatives said on October 12 that Deters owed her about $150,000 for speeches and consulting work done long before her ambassadorship, the BBC reported.
Democrats on the Senate and House foreign affairs committees have called on the State Department to investigate her conduct in Greece.
Guilfoyle, 57, is a former Fox News host and was previously married to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Trump named her ambassador to Greece in December 2024.
Neither the White House nor the State Department has said who will lead the US Embassy in Athens in the interim.
–IANS
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