US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has resigned from her post amid allegations of improper and potentially illegal conduct, vowing to vigorously defend herself against what she described as false accusations.
The Trump administration had asked Guilfoyle to step down following mounting criticism over alleged misconduct before and during her tenure in Athens, the White House said on Tuesday.
Guilfoyle addressed the allegations in a post on X, saying she intended to defend her name, reputation and integrity.
“These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” she wrote.
She said she had spent her professional life fighting for justice and defending American values, adding that she would not allow what she called false accusations to define her decades of public service.
President Donald Trump told reporters that Guilfoyle had been doing a good job but that the administration was dissatisfied with reports about her conduct.
“She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading,” Trump said.
Utah Senator John Curtis welcomed the decision to seek her resignation, describing it as an example of leadership and stressing that public service was a public trust and political connections should not shield anyone from accountability.
Guilfoyle, who was previously engaged to Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., has faced allegations reported by The Wall Street Journal, including threatening a host-country official, accepting improper gifts and services, and offering to use her influence within the administration in exchange for payment of a substantial credit card bill.
Her lawyers have denied wrongdoing. In a statement issued late Sunday, they said money she sought from a Trump donor was payment for previously unpaid public appearances and speaking engagements that predated her nomination as ambassador.
They also rejected allegations of impropriety involving her use of private aircraft, saying she had sought and obtained State Department guidance before each trip and complied with the department’s travel regulations.
The State Department has declined to comment on a possible investigation by its inspector general.