Trump, Rubio weigh removing ambassador to Greece amid alleged misconduct

US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly considering removing the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, following several reports of alleged misconduct before and during her tenure in Athens.Guilfoyle is a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr.On Sunday, a senior US official said Trump and Rubio were “extremely pissed off” over the reported allegations and were likely to decide on a course of action this week, after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. Associated Press reported.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio was particularly angry. He visited Athens last week, with Guilfoyle attending most, if not all, of his events. She also greeted him with a bear hug upon his arrival, as the allegations continued to surface.The Wall Street Journal has published several reports detailing allegations against Guilfoyle, including threatening an official from the host country, accepting improper gifts and services, and offering to use her influence within the US administration in exchange for payment of a large credit card bill.Guilfoyle has not directly responded to the reports. Her lawyer, however, has maintained that she did nothing wrong, while the US embassy in Athens has tacitly expressed support for her.Rubio initially defended Guilfoyle after the first report emerged but has since refrained from publicly commenting on the growing allegations.“Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here,” Rubio said on Wednesday.Following the publication of another report late Wednesday, Rubio confronted journalists who questioned him about the allegations before leaving Athens on Thursday. He said he did not know whether the claims were true and would not comment on matters he could not confirm.AllegationsSince late September, The Wall Street Journal has reported several allegations of questionable conduct by Guilfoyle.Its first report said she told reception guests that the US could undermine the Greek government, promoted a Greek construction and energy company’s business interests, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.Citing text messages, the Journal later reported that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor to pay a $100,000 credit card bill shortly before her confirmation hearing, promising access to administration officials in return.Separately, British tabloid The Daily Mail reported that Guilfoyle had alienated US embassy staff in Athens and pushed the boundaries of behaviour appropriate for Washington’s top representative in Greece.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.