New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia said on Tuesday that the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has been asked to resign following a series of allegations about her conduct.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team and we wish her well,” Zacharia told reporters.
It was not immediately clear if Guilfoyle had resigned.
The move follows a series of articles published in the Wall Street Journal alleging questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including a threat against a Greek official, the acceptance of inappropriate gifts and services, as well as an offer to use her influence within the administration in exchange for the settlement of a large credit card bill.
US President Donald Trump had said on Monday that his administration was “looking at” firing Guilfoyle and that they were “not happy” with the situation.
Guilfoyle has responded to the allegations against her through her lawyers, rejecting claims made by American businessman and former political candidate Eric Deters.
The statement said that Deters owed her around $150,000 for speeches and consulting services and that Guilfoyle had previously turned down a $1 million proposal from Deters to promote a private legal case.
Regarding accusations of accepting gifts and travelling on private jets, her lawyers argued that the ambassador had requested and received guidance from the State Department and had fully complied with ethics rules and provisions governing the acceptance of gifts.