US President Donald Trump showed Kimberly Guilfoyle the exit at the United States Embassy in Athens, ending her 11-month tenure as ambassador amid news reports containing serious allegations against her. White House press secretary Katie Zacharia in her first briefing to journalists, said Ms Guilfoyle was asked to resign.

Trump said: “She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.” He added: “She wasn’t a member of my family. I guess she dated my son a long time ago.”

In a post, Guilfoyle said: “These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.” She said she was particularly proud of the embassy’s work.

Her removal surprised no one in Washington. For days, continuing revelations and the Democrats’ hard-edged exploitation of the case had inflicted needless political damage on the White House at a sensitive preelection moment.

On Monday afternoon, departing for Ohio, Trump publicly left open the possibility of removing her. Reports indicate the decision had been made before he boarded Marine One.

The State Department was told to avoid comment, and the White House took over handling of the crisis. Most of the president’s staff quickly favored her removal, according to the same reports, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly irritated by the publicity-driven embrace with which she greeted him.

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee called for an investigation. “Resigning does not shield her from accountability,” they wrote, adding that she “used her position as a Trump official to get rich, while American families struggle with the cost of living.”

Her exit will add delays to agreements between Greece and the United States. Josh Huck, the charge d’affaires, will perform an ambassador’s duties until a successor is chosen.

That includes the so-called Rubio package, nearly $4 billion in weapons deals finalized only days before the secretary of state arrived; several procedural steps remain before contracts are signed.

In Athens, opposition parties want answers. PASOK’s Dimitris Mantzos requested a detailed briefing on the agreements reached during Rubio’s visit.

Source: Εkathimerini.com