What the WSJ Reported About Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Remark on Romania and Greece

The Wall Street Journal reportedly said U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle invoked the fall of Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s government during a tense exchange with Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou. The reported remark suggested Washington could do something similar in Greece. Guilfoyle’s lawyer disputed the account, and the material available here does not establish that the United States caused Romania’s government to fall. 911

What Guilfoyle allegedly said

The reported exchange took place at a dinner in Athens attended by Greek and U.S. officials. The account attributed to Guilfoyle the words: “We can do this to any country we want. We can do it here too.” The Journal’s account, as summarized in the available reporting, was based on a person who attended and people who were later told about the conversation. It is a disputed report, not proof of U.S. involvement in Romania’s political events or an official U.S. policy toward Greece. 911

How Greek officials and Guilfoyle’s lawyer responded

Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis denied that Guilfoyle had threatened Greece, saying there had been no question of a threat and that such a thing would not be tolerated. He also said there was “no political blackmail for American LNG.” 3

A separate report says Papastavrou responded during the exchange that the United States could not change Greece’s government, which was elected by its citizens. Guilfoyle’s lawyer disputed the Journal’s account of the conversation. 13

The available reporting does not provide enough substantiated detail to characterize specific responses from Greek opposition parties or Romanian leaders. Their views should not be inferred from the reported exchange.

What is known about Bolojan’s government falling

The sources here refer to the fall or collapse of Bolojan’s government, but do not establish its precise political or parliamentary sequence or explain why it fell. They also provide no evidence that the United States caused it to fall. The reported dinner remark, even if accurately quoted, would not by itself establish U.S. involvement. 1112

Why the reporting raised ethics questions

The Journal’s investigation also focused on Christos Marafatsos, a lobbyist for Greek company Aktor who frequently accompanied Guilfoyle to meetings with foreign officials, according to accounts of the investigation. Guilfoyle reportedly encouraged Bulgarian contacts to engage with Aktor as the company expanded into the gas business. 2417

That overlap raises a question about whether a private client could benefit from access to official diplomatic meetings and from an ambassador’s promotion. It is a potential conflict-of-interest concern, not proof of a rule violation. The evidence provided does not establish that an ethics violation occurred.

Aktor’s lawyers denied that Guilfoyle improperly promoted the company’s commercial interests and said Aktor’s involvement in the regional gas corridor began before any contact with her. 5 The available sources do not provide enough detail to fully summarize the responses of Marafatsos or every person accused of wrongdoing.