President Donald Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, dropped some major news at her inaugural news conference.
Zacharia took questions in the White House press room Tuesday morning and was asked whether Kimberly Guilfoyle would be asked to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well,” Zacharia said, stunning the reporter who asked the question.
The president said Monday he was considering firing Guilfoyle over a series of reports about alleged misconduct, telling reporters, “We’re not happy.”
Guilfoyle, who was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. for four years, allegedly accepted lavish gifts as ambassador and sought money in exchange for access to administration officials before she was confirmed.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers have denied wrongdoing. They say the money she sought was owed to her for speaking appearances that predated her nomination, call the reports about her travel misleading, and say she complied with federal rules on gifts and reporting. The State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating her over the allegations, NBC News reported.
Eric Deters, a former Trump donor, said Guilfoyle asked him to wire $100,000 to pay off her American Express card before her Senate confirmation.
The Kentucky donor ultimately did not send the money. “I didn’t have $100,000 to spare to give to Kimberly Guilfoyle, or I actually would have been a dumba-- enough to do it,” Deters told CBS News.