White House says it has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece: live updates

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent State Department employees an ethics reminder Wednesday, Oct. 14, a day after Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation as ambassador to Greece, Newser reported, citing a memo obtained by The Washington Post. Rubio urged employees to avoid conflicts of interest, act impartially and refrain from using public office for private gain, Newser reported.

“It is my expectation that every member of our team must act with uncompromising personal and professional integrity,” Rubio wrote, according to Newser. A State Department official told The Washington Post the memo had been in preparation for weeks.

Eric Deters said he plans to sue Kimberly Guilfoyle and her lawyers for defamation, disputing their explanation that her request for money concerned unpaid professional fees, CNN reported.

“I’m going to be suing those lawyers, that law firm, and Kimberly Guilfoyle,” Deters told CNN’s John Berman on Monday, Oct. 12. He said he would bring the lawsuit in Kentucky. Deters accused her legal team of falsely challenging the authenticity of his messages and describing him as a blackmailer, CNN and Mediaite reported.

Guilfoyle’s attorneys said she was seeking approximately $150,000 in outstanding speaking and consulting fees, according to a statement Berman read during the interview. Deters denied owing her money and alleged that she had asked him to create a letter saying he did, CNN reported. His announced intention to sue is not an announcement that a lawsuit has been filed.

Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Wednesday that Athens had no role in the U.S. decision to seek Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation and would continue cooperating with Washington’s chosen representatives, Greek broadcaster SKAI reported.

“It is something we can neither influence nor comment on,” Marinakis told SKAI, according to the broadcaster and public broadcaster ERT. Asked whether Greece would seek explanations, he said diplomatic appointments and departures were decisions for the governments sending those representatives, not Greece.

Marinakis said major bilateral initiatives would continue and described U.S.-Greek relations as being at their highest level in recent years, ERT reported. He also accused opposition parties of trying to assign Athens responsibility for developments outside its authority, the broadcasters reported.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis rejected calls to summon Kimberly Guilfoyle over allegations that she threatened Greece’s government, Kathimerini reported Oct. 9. Responding in parliament to former deputy foreign minister Sia Anagnostopoulou, Gerapetritis said a summons was unnecessary because Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou had denied that any threat occurred, the newspaper reported.

Gerapetritis said Guilfoyle had been treated “the same way as every other ambassador,” The Associated Press reported. Kathimerini said he cited Papastavrou’s Oct. 2 parliamentary statement denying pressure or threats against Greece and saying such conduct would not be tolerated.

Rep. Gregory Meeks requested that Kimberly Guilfoyle answer questions under oath before House Foreign Affairs Committee members, the committee’s Democrats said in an Oct. 10 statement. Meeks, the committee’s top Democrat, separately asked the State Department’s inspector general to immediately investigate her reported dealings with a foreign company and a political donor.

The committee said his request followed Wall Street Journal reports about a lobbyist’s access to official meetings, company-sponsored private flights and an alleged request for $100,000 from donor Eric Deters. Meeks said investigators should determine whether Guilfoyle sought funds from anyone else, even though Deters said he did not transfer the money.

Kimberly Guilfoyle personally denied the misconduct allegations Tuesday and pledged to defend herself, The Associated Press and ABC News reported, citing her statement on X.

“These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” Guilfoyle wrote. She said she would not let the accusations define her decades of public service, according to ABC News. Her statement followed the White House’s request that she resign as ambassador to Greece.

The State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating Kimberly Guilfoyle and the U.S. Embassy in Greece, NBC News reported, citing two people familiar with the decision. CNN separately reported that a source confirmed a watchdog investigation into the ambassador.

NBC News reported that an inspector general spokesperson declined to confirm, deny or comment on investigations. The State Department also declined to comment on the accusations or any investigation, the network said.

Guilfoyle’s lawyers said Sunday that money she sought from a Trump donor was unpaid compensation for appearances and speaking engagements predating her nomination, The Associated Press reported. They also said she obtained State Department guidance before private-plane trips.