Inspector General Opens Rare Inquiry Into Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle and the U.S. Embassy in Greece
The Kimberly Guilfoyle investigation is now underway at the State Department, where the Office of the Inspector General has opened a rare inquiry into the U.S. ambassador to Greece and the embassy she leads in Athens. Two people familiar with the decision confirmed the probe to NBC News, according to a report published October 9, 2026.
What Prompted the Inquiry
The investigation follows public allegations from Eric Deters, a longtime Trump supporter, donor and legal consultant, who says Guilfoyle asked him for a $100,000 payment before her 2025 confirmation hearing. Deters told NBC News the money was meant to cover an outstanding American Express bill, and he described the arrangement as a quid pro quo — payment in exchange for access to senior administration officials.
Deters said Guilfoyle was desperate for the funds and portrayed her as offering entree to Trump world, with no request too big. He also said he never paid the money.
The Evidence at the Center of the Dispute
Deters provided NBC News with a PDF containing texts and Signal messages. The messages were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. One message appears to show Guilfoyle instructing a wire to American Express and stating the wire would not show up anywhere.
Guilfoyle’s attorney disputed the authenticity of the messages but did not provide specifics. The Daily Mail was first to report the existence of the watchdog investigation.
Reactions From the White House and State Department
Vice President JD Vance characterized the accusations as one person’s story and warned against trying people in the court of public opinion. He said the facts should be examined, and consequences should follow if wrongdoing occurred. The White House declined to comment.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Athens alongside Guilfoyle, chided a reporter for raising the accusations there. Rubio said he did not know whether the reporting was true and objected to conducting such matters in a press conference on the tarmac.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to Rubio seeking more information, citing additional allegations reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Why This Investigation Stands Out
A senior diplomatic official said the probe has set off alarm bells throughout the State Department and described it as rare. The Inspector General’s office typically focuses on routine embassy inspections rather than ethics inquiries into ambassadors. A spokesperson for the watchdog declined to confirm, deny or comment on any investigation, and the State Department declined to comment on the accusations or the inquiry.
Such investigations are unusual but not unprecedented. During the first Trump administration, Woody Johnson, then ambassador to the United Kingdom, was investigated and found to have made inappropriate comments about race, gender and religion. He had watched a government workplace harassment video, instructed senior officials to watch it, and encouraged staff to take unconscious bias training. The State Department rejected the recommendations in his case.
In 2024, under President Biden, Jonathan Kaplan, then ambassador to Singapore, was investigated and found to have threatened his staff and failed to submit roughly $48,000 in travel expenses on time or with proper documentation. The State Department took those recommendations seriously and made organizational changes afterward. John Kirby, a former White House National Security Council spokesman, said the president wants representatives to manage people with dignity and respect and was comfortable with the department treating the Kaplan case seriously.
What Remains Unclear
The full scope of the investigation into the U.S. Embassy in Greece has not been disclosed. It is unknown whether the messages Deters provided are authentic, what specific additional allegations Meeks referred to, whether other individuals are under investigation, or what consequences, if any, Guilfoyle may face. The outcome of the inquiry is also pending.
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