WASHINGTON — The White House publicly asked for U.S.Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation on Tuesday as she faced mounting accusations of improper conduct, and she announced within two hours that she was quitting, ending days of talk and speculation about her professional fate.
Guilfoyle insisted that she would "vigorously defend" herself.President Donald Trump's administration had said earlier Tuesday it had asked Guilfoyle to leave her post after she faced severe criticism over allegations she engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.That revelation came in response to a question to freshly minted White House press secretary Katie Zacharia at her first media briefing Tuesday morning.Zacharia said Guilfoyle "has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.""She went to Greece.
She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading," Trump said just after Guilfoyle's resignation, which was posted on her X account.He said he had not spoken to her but "she will not be there."Guilfoyle's departure comes after its possibility was previewed to The Associated Press over the weekend and Trump registered his unhappiness on Monday at reports about her alleged conduct.
Those comments came a day after the AP, citing a senior U.S.official, reported that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were "extremely pissed off" by Guilfoyle's reported conduct.In a series of stories dating to late last month, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the Republican administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.Guilfoyle addressed the accusations directly in her resignation post on X, saying, "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.""I have dedica...