She was engaged to Trump Jr., now she is ambassador in Athens: Kimberly Guilfoyle is said to have offered a donor access to the government for a fee. Now calls for clarification are getting louder.
US Ambassador Guilfoyle just met Secretary Rubio in Athens. (Archive image) Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool AP/AP/dpa
Washington. US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle is under increasing pressure following reports about the alleged venality of her political influence. "What we've seen in the reports is very disturbing, it's concerning," Republican Senator John Barrasso told CBS News. He assumes that the State Department will open an investigation. In addition, the responsible committee in the Senate will take up the matter.
“Honey, please, you have to do this for me today”
The Wall Street Journal had previously published news claiming that Guilfoyle had asked Trump donor Eric Deters for a $100,000 transfer. Accordingly, Guilfoyle is said to have made the urgent request a few days before its hearing in the Senate. Guilfoyle (57) needed the money to pay off debts with American Express. The current ambassador was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Guilfoyle had been in contact for months with Deters, who had asked her for help in bringing the Trump administration's attention to personal tax and legal matters - and was said to have promised her payments of up to $1 million if successful. According to Deters, however, no payment was ever made.
“Honey, please, you have to do this for me today,” she wrote to Deters, adding a folded hands emoji and a file with payment instructions. Deters was supposed to send the money in such a way that the transfer could no longer be traced afterwards.
As The Wall Street Journal reported, Guilfoyle disputes the authenticity of the messages, according to her lawyer. She was owed money for public appearances before her Senate hearing. However, Deters told the Wall Street Journal that he had no debts to Guilfoyle.
Demand for clarification
In the previous days, several Democrats had already called for a complete investigation - including Robert Garcia, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Oversight Committee. “This is the latest in a long line of corruption allegations surrounding the Trump administration, and we demand answers,” he said. If the allegations are true, it would be a case of blatant abuse of power.
“It was clearly a case of money for favors,” Deters told CBS News. At no time did he intend to actually send Guilfoyle any money, he claimed. Instead, he made up an excuse. As CBS News reported, Deters shared the text messages with the network showing Guilfoyle's request for the $100,000.
Rubio: Guilfoyle is a “strong ambassador”
Deters is considered a long-time supporter of US President Donald Trump. He had unsuccessfully run for political office in the US state of Kentucky several times.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose ministry is responsible for the ambassadors, met Guilfoyle in Athens just last week. However, when asked about the reports at a press conference, he downplayed it: This was not the right context for such questions. “Our embassy here is doing a great job,” Rubio said. Guilfoyle is a “strong ambassador.”
Published according to the editorial standards of the Handelsblatt. You can find more information in our guidelines.
