US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday declined to comment on new allegations against US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, saying he was aware of a Wall Street Journal report but did not know whether its claims were true. The report alleges that Guilfoyle asked a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump to pay $100,000 toward her American Express credit card bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing for the ambassadorial post. Rubio was questioned about the allegations during his visit to Athens but refused to discuss them in detail. The episode comes as Guilfoyle is already facing scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers over separate allegations concerning her conduct as ambassador, including her interactions with a Greek company and a registered lobbyist. Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing through her representatives.

According to the Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday, Guilfoyle contacted Trump donor Eric Deters in July 2025, shortly before her July 9 confirmation hearing, and asked him to pay $100,000 toward her American Express account. The Journal said it reviewed Signal messages in which Guilfoyle allegedly provided payment instructions and indicated that transferring the money directly to American Express would not create a visible paper trail. Deters told the newspaper that he ultimately did not make the payment. The report said Deters had previously paid Guilfoyle for speaking engagements and was seeking her assistance with personal legal and tax matters, while discussing the possibility of obtaining access to officials in the Trump administration. Guilfoyle's attorney has disputed the authenticity of the messages and maintained that she was owed money for speaking engagements.

Rubio addressed the issue as he prepared to leave Greece after a diplomatic visit during which he delivered a speech outlining his views on Western civilisation and US foreign policy. Asked about the Journal's report, Rubio said he would not treat an unverified media report as established fact. He criticised the assumption that information attributed to unnamed sources should automatically be accepted as true. At a joint news conference earlier in the day with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, Rubio had also declined to discuss the allegations while on foreign soil. Instead, he praised the work of the US Embassy in Greece and defended Guilfoyle's performance as ambassador, saying the embassy was doing a good job and that Guilfoyle had been a strong ambassador.

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The latest allegations come less than two weeks after Democratic lawmakers called for a State Department review of Guilfoyle's conduct in Greece. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Rubio on October 6 seeking an immediate review of allegations that Guilfoyle had improperly advocated on behalf of a foreign company and allowed a registered lobbyist to participate in official US government meetings. She also raised concerns about reports that Guilfoyle had become involved in the domestic political affairs of foreign governments. The House Foreign Affairs Committee's top Democrat, Gregory Meeks, had separately sought answers from the State Department and called for Guilfoyle's removal if earlier allegations concerning her conduct were substantiated.

Those earlier allegations involved Guilfoyle's reported relationship with Christos Marafatsos, a registered lobbyist for Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group. According to a Wall Street Journal investigation cited by Meeks, Marafatsos accompanied Guilfoyle to several official meetings despite representing a private company, while Guilfoyle was also accused of promoting the company's commercial interests during diplomatic engagements. Shaheen's letter similarly raised questions about the use of government meetings and diplomatic access. The allegations have prompted calls for greater transparency over Guilfoyle's conduct, financial relationships and compliance with State Department ethics requirements. Guilfoyle's representatives and the US Embassy have rejected suggestions that she violated applicable rules, with the embassy saying she had been properly vetted and remained committed to representing US interests.

Rubio was asked whether he would initiate an investigation into the latest allegations but did not say whether the State Department would do so. The secretary's comments leave the question of any formal review unresolved as congressional Democrats continue seeking information about Guilfoyle's conduct. The newest report does not establish that Guilfoyle committed a crime, and the alleged $100,000 payment was not ultimately made, according to Deters. However, the reported request has added another layer to scrutiny surrounding the ambassador, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2025. For now, Rubio has publicly defended Guilfoyle's work in Greece while declining to assess the specific allegations reported by the Journal. Any determination about whether her actions violated federal ethics rules or other laws would depend on further investigation and evidence rather than the allegations alone.

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