Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned her post as ambassador to Greece on Tuesday, after being asked to do so by President Trump amid a wave of misconduct allegations she has denied. Guilfoyle, a former Trump campaign surrogate and onetime fiancee of Donald Trump Jr., faced allegations including an offer to use her influence in Trump’s orbit in exchange for payments, according to the Wall Street Journal — adding her to a growing number of Trump administration officials, family members and employees who have been accused of improperly monetizing their ties to the president or his government. That list includes Trump and his sons, who have been criticized for making billions through investments in industries that are regulated by the administration — including in cryptocurrency and drone interceptors — and for trying to sell early access to Trump’s posts on his social media platform.
Trump Jr. has also faced criticism for having his lavish Bahamas wedding paid for in part by a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin. The business ventures of Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and one of the administration’s top negotiators in the Middle East, have also raised questions, as Kushner has been tied to Russian oil negotiations amid talks on how to end the war with Ukraine and reportedly tried to raise money for his private firm from governments in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his son Brandon Lutnick, now chair of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, have been questioned over the firm buying up rights to refunds from Trump’s dismantled tariff scheme.
Howard Lutnick, who previously served as Cantor Fitzgerald’s chairman, championed Trump’s tariffs. In a statement posted to social media, Guilfoyle said she will “forever be grateful” to Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for trusting her to represent the U.S. abroad, remains “unwavering” in her support for them and “worked tirelessly to advance President Trump’s America First agenda, strengthen our strategic alliance with Greece, and deliver meaningful victories for the American people.” The allegations against her are false, she said, and she won’t allow them to define her “decades of public service” and intends to “vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.” The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Guilfoyle messaged a Trump donor asking for $100,000 to pay off a credit card bill in exchange for access to administration officials, and for it to be sent in a way that wouldn’t leave a paper trail. The Journal has also reported that Guilfoyle promoted a Greek construction and energy company and gave its lobbyists access to a private diplomatic meeting; told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it wanted to do so; and boasted about luxury travel with energy company executives.
The British tabloid the Daily Mail reported that Guilfoyle had alienated staff with questionable behavior. The State Department’s inspector general is looking into the allegations, according to an unnamed U.S. official who spoke with the . And top Democrats — including Rep.
Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), the ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — have called for investigations. Guilfoyle’s resignation comes a day after Trump said that officials were looking into the claims and were “not happy.” Guilfoyle’s resignation caps an unusual, decades-long run in the public spotlight that has captivated many, particularly in California, where she was formerly married to Gov. Born to a Puerto Rican mother and Irish father, Guilfoyle was brought up working-class in San Francisco.
She attended UC Davis and the University of San Francisco Law School, and then served as a prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She was introduced to Newsom — a likely Democratic contender for president in 2028 — by Newsom’s father, and moved back to the Bay Area, where she resumed working as a prosecutor. Guilfoyle and Newsom wed in 2001.
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