Bribery

Report: Trump, Rubio Weigh Ousting Guilfoyle as Greece Envoy

Is this another sign of corruption from the Trump administration or was it the innocent chasing of an unpaid invoice?

7 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Report: Trump, Rubio Weigh Ousting Guilfoyle as Greece Envoy

Story

Above: Stock photo of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly weighing the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, an unnamed senior U.S. official said Sunday, adding a decision would likely come this week after Monday's Columbus Day holiday.
AP News
FOX News
Attorneys David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall said in a statement Sunday that Guilfoyle denies wrongdoing and that the money she sought from a Trump donor was owed for previously agreed appearances and speaking engagements.
The Daily Beast
The Washington Examiner
This comes after The Wall Street Journal last week reported that Guilfoyle asked Trump donor Eric Deters to wire $100,000 to American Express before her Senate confirmation hearing, offering access to administration officials in return. Deters said he never sent the money.
The Wall Street Journal
FOX News
CNN
Last week, Rubio brushed aside the reports, saying that the embassy there was "doing a great job." Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Guilfoyle should be removed if the allegations are substantiated.
Time
The Washington Examiner

Sources Split

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RIGHT

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

This is the kind of grift that permeates through the Trump administration and should disqualify anyone from representing the country abroad. Dangling access to the IRS chief in exchange for cash turns an embassy into a storefront for favors. Shrugging this off as media noise only proves how normalized the pay-to-play racket has become.

Robert Reich on Substack

Slate

Narrative B

This wasn't grift or bribery; it was just chasing down payment of an overdue invoice from a deadbeat client. This was basic business with a client who admits he got nothing in return. Smearing an ambassador who followed State Department guidance and is busy advancing American energy interests abroad looks a lot like leverage in a debt fight.

David M. Schwartz, Esq.

Narrative C

Guilfoyle may be the latest Trump maritime-policy figure targeted by planted stories. She's been working on aligning Greek and South Korean shipping interests with the United States, which could pose a threat to Chinese influence and entrenched global shipping interests. This could make her a prime target of misinformation. Her case fits a wider pattern.