Aides to Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. ambassador to Greece and Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-fiancée, have reportedly tried to skip out on paying for her pricey demands.
The Daily Mail reported on Thursday, citing multiple insiders, that Guilfoyle demands pricey champagne wherever she goes, and her team expects someone else to pay for it. Guilfoyle's staff has even leaned on a Greek hospitality fixer for freebies.
According to the Mail, Giannis Chorozoglou, described as a Greek "hospitality guru," has served as a personal guide for Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host, and her inner circle.
This spring, Guilfoyle's team asked Chorozoglou to order two cases of champagne for the ambassador. When he came back with only a discount, a member of her staff lashed out.
"Are you serious? Just a discount? Are we paying for it? It was supposed to be free for the ambassador," the aide said, per the report.
"Whenever she is invited somewhere she asks for a specific Champagne that is insanely expensive because it's the only alcohol she drinks," a Greek source who knows about her outings told the Mail.
The freebie push reportedly extended to a May 31 dinner at Matsuhisa inside the Four Seasons Astir Palace, a luxury resort south of Athens. Guilfoyle dined with her son Ronan and his father, designer Eric Villency. When the check came to 1,586 euros, roughly $1,800, an aide called Chorozoglou to complain that the meal was meant to be on the house. The bill ended up at the U.S. embassy, though an embassy official told the Mail that Guilfoyle covered it.
Three current and former diplomats told the Mail that soliciting gifts like these would run afoul of federal ethics rules, which bar government employees from requesting or accepting gifts given because of their official position.
The report lands as Guilfoyle faces scrutiny over Christos Marafatsos, a registered lobbyist for Greek conglomerate Aktor Group whose presence at her official meetings was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Guilfoyle has refused to drop him, insiders said, telling people, "I need him."
A source close to the embassy said Guilfoyle uses her ties to the president to keep people in line, adding, "She has Trump's phone number on her cellphone and can wield that like a weapon imperiously."
An embassy official told the Mail that Guilfoyle "continues to follow all State Department ethical guidelines." Guilfoyle and the White House have disputed The Journal's reporting and deny any wrongdoing.
