US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle bragged that Greek businessmen paid for her trips on private jets. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing an audio recording and conversations with people who attended the meeting.
The conversation took place in January 2026 during the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to the publication, Guilfoyle said that she traveled to the forum on a private jet together with Alexandros Exarchou, CEO of the Greek construction and energy group Aktor. In the conversation, she called him “her man“.
The ambassador also mentioned a planned trip to Paris on a private jet with shipping magnate Nikolaos Tsakos. The occasion was a fashion event for his wife, according to the WSJ. The newspaper presents these allegations as part of broader questions about Guilfoyle's relationships with Greek entrepreneurs and the possible acceptance of benefits.
The connection with Aktor
An earlier investigation by the American newspaper highlighted the role of Christos Marafatsos, a lobbyist for Aktor, who often accompanied Guilfoyle to official meetings. These are talks with representatives of governments in Southeast Europe, including when discussing energy deals and supplies of American liquefied natural gas.
According to data cited by the WSJ, Aktor paid Marafatsos $ 160,000 until June 2026 to establish contacts with the White House, the State Department and the US Department of Energy. The company and its head Exarchou deny using Guilfoyle illegally.
Washington has launched an investigation
The State Department's Office of Inspector General is investigating Guilfoyle and the embassy in Athens, two sources familiar with the decision confirmed to NBC News. The use of private jets and helicopters, the acceptance of gifts and close relationships with an energy and construction company are being checked.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment on the case during his visit to Greece. He told the Associated Press that the US embassy in Athens "did a great job."
On October 10, Representative Gregory Meeks called for an immediate investigation and hearing of Guilfoyle before the Foreign Affairs Committee. Democrats in the Senate and House are demanding an investigation into whether the ambassador used her official position to benefit private companies.
The US embassy denies the allegations. In a statement quoted by US media, it said: "Any suggestion that she acted outside of ethical guidelines is categorically false." There has been no public announcement of the final findings of the investigation at this time.
Sources: g4media.ro, apnews.com, nbclosangeles.com