Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle has reportedly appeared at official meetings alongside Christos Marafatsos, a paid lobbyist who is not an elected or appointed official, raising questions about his role in her diplomatic engagements.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Marafatsos, whom Donald Trump once described as a “good-looking guy”, is a registered lobbyist for gas conglomerate Aktor and has received $160,000 in payments.
Guilfoyle, who is ambassador to Greece, has reportedly encouraged several foreign governments to sign gas deals with Aktor. Mr Marafatsos has attended multiple meetings with her across different countries, the report said.
He also apparently flew the ambassador to Bulgaria on a private jet.
Aktor, which secured a $6 billion deal with Albania, told the newspaper that “Guilfoyle wasn’t improperly promoting Aktor’s commercial interests.”
Lawyers for Guilfoyle, Marafatsos and Aktor have denied any wrongdoing.
