President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.
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she → consider → Athens
A senior US official said on Sunday that Trump and Rubio are 'extremely pissed off' by Guilfoyle's reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Monday's Columbus Day holiday.
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Trump → say → holiday
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio had been particularly angry, not least because he visited Athens just last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the allegations swirled.
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allegations → speak → hug
In a series of stories, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by 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.
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Journal → report → bill
Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly, although her lawyer has said she did nothing wrong and the US Embassy in Athens has tacitly expressed support for her.
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Embassy → address → her
After defending Guilfoyle following the first report, Rubio has declined to comment publicly on the growing allegations.
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Rubio → defend → allegations
On Wednesday, Rubio said: 'Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.'
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ambassador → say → Wednesday
But after another report appeared late Wednesday, Rubio on Thursday before leaving Athens berated journalists for asking about the allegations, saying he didn't know if they were true and that he would not respond if he could not confirm them.
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he → appear → them
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly considering firing US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle following a string of explosive misconduct allegations
Trump and Rubio are reportedly 'extremely p****d off' over the allegations and could decide Guilfoyle's fate as early as this week
'
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Trump → consider → week
You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it's the gospel.
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it → walk → it
That's not the way we do things,' Rubio said at the foot of his plane as Guilfoyle, who was there to see him depart, looked on.
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him → do → plane
The official said that Rubio had grown increasingly frustrated as the reports multiplied.
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reports → say → ?
Vice-president Vance similarly brushed aside questions, calling them 'hypothetical,' but admitted that he 'doesn't love' what's being reported on her spending and expenses.
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what → brush → spending
'Well, so... with that hypothetical, obviously I don't love that, but I, you know, I don't know exactly who you're talking about,' he said.
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he → love → who
'I don't know the full details.'
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I → know → details
A second US official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said the State Department's inspector general is looking into the allegations, which first began surfacing in the Journal late last month and have since multiplied.
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which → speak → Journal
The second official could not say if a formal IG probe had begun.
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probe → say → ?
Inspectors general often conduct informal inquiries into complaints against staffers and many times those inquiries do not result in a full-on investigation, which can result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
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which → conduct → dismissal
The State Department has declined to comment on a potential IG investigation.
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Department → decline → investigation
The top two Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, as well as the ranking member on the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform, Robert Garcia, D-Calif., have already called for an investigation into Guilfoyle.
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Democrats → call → Guilfoyle
Since late September, the Journal has detailed numerous accounts of questionable conduct by Guilfoyle.
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Journal → detail → Guilfoyle
Rubio reportedly became increasingly furious as fresh allegations emerged during his visit to Athens last week, where Guilfoyle greeted him with a bear hug
The president's son, who began dating Guilfoyle shortly after his split from first wife Vanessa
Its first report said that she had told guests at a reception that the US could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.
While Rubio was in Athens, the Journal reported - citing text messages - that Guilfoyle had asked a Trump donor and supporter to pay a $100,000 credit card bill just before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did.
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he → become → officials
The Journal then reported that Guilfoyle had been enraged about not being invited to a Greek-themed event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year and demanded to attend while boasting about luxury travel to France with energy company executives.
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Guilfoyle → report → executives
Another report in the Daily Mail, said that Guilfoyle had alienated staff at the US Embassy in Athens and had pushed the bounds of behavior appropriate for the top representative of the US government to Greece.
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Guilfoyle → say → Greece
The story alleged how the State Department is officially investigating complaints into her allegedly 'tyrannical' leadership and lavish corporate perks and Champagne-filled lifestyle.
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Department → allege → leadership
The Aporia
