White House asks US envoy in Athens to resign

The new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, has used her first press briefing to announce that the US ambassador to Greece has been asked to resign.

Kimberly Guilfoyle has been at the centre of a growing controversy in recent weeks over allegations of improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.

US President Donald Trump had previously told the media he was "not happy" with the allegations and that his administration was "looking at it".

Ms Guilfoyle previously worked at US cable network Fox News and dated Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, as well as California Governor Gavin Newsom.

In her first appearance in the White House briefing room, Ms Zacharia said Ms Guilfoyle "has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well".

Ms Zacharia was appointed press secretary earlier this year after Karoline Leavitt resigned, citing a wish to spend more time with her family.

Ms Zacharia's appearance at the lectern was brief, with her taking only three questions from reporters and saying that Mr Trump was "his own best spokesperson".

Allegations mount against Guilfoyle

In a series of stories dating to late last month, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Ms Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.

The newspaper reported that she asked Eric Deters, an influential Trump supporter, to pay off $US100,000 ($143,000) in personal credit card debt shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025.

"Honey please I need you to get this done for me today," she wrote to Mr Deters in a message accompanied by instructions for paying her credit card company, according to the Journal, which published screenshots of the exchanges.

Mr Deters refused to make the payment, telling the newspaper that doing so would have cost him his marriage.

Ms Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly.

In a statement released late on Sunday, her lawyers denied she had done anything wrong and claimed that the money she was seeking from the Trump donor was payment for services, public appearances and speaking engagements that predate her ambassadorial nomination, that had not been paid.

The lawyers, David Schwartz and Jesse Binnall, also rejected allegations of impropriety related to Ms Guilfoyle's travel on private planes.

They said before every such trip she "sought, obtained and followed State Department guidance and followed the department's travel regulations," they said.