|
US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday (local time) said anyone found selling access to the White House should face consequences, responding to questions about allegations involving former US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and potential conflicts of interest in President Donald Trump's administration, CBS News reported.
"First of all, if somebody's selling access to the White House, that's disgusting and despicable, and they should suffer consequences," Vance told CBS News. Speaking with 'CBS Evening News' anchor Tony Dokoupil during a town hall in Michigan, scheduled to air on Saturday, Vance said allegations should be assessed based on evidence. "I want to make those judgments based on the facts and not based on a random news media report that I read," he said. Dokoupil raised reports concerning Trump's cryptocurrency earnings and Guilfoyle's departure from her diplomatic post following allegations that she had asked a man seeking assistance from the Trump administration to wire her USD 100,000. Asked whether the administration would comply with congressional subpoenas if Democrats won control of the House of Representatives or the Senate in the midterm elections, Vance said, "Of course I will. Look, I mean, we follow the law." Earlier on Tuesday, Guilfoyle confirmed that she was leaving her post as US Ambassador to Greece after the White House asked her to resign. In a post on X, she denied the allegations and said, "I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity." White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia said Guilfoyle had been asked to leave her post. "She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well," Zacharia said. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump distanced himself from Guilfoyle, saying she had previously dated his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. "She wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago," Trump said, according to Fox News. He added, "She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading." The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle had asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay a USD 100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. Deters said he did not make the payment, while Guilfoyle's attorney, Jesse Binnall, disputed the authenticity of the messages cited in the report. Separately, financial disclosures released by the US Office of Government Ethics showed that Trump reported more than USD 1.4 billion in income from his family's cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, including more than USD 500 million from World Liberty Financial and USD 635 million from the sale of his $TRUMP meme coins. The reports have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest involving the President's business interests and his public office. Trump has denied any conflicts of interest. (ANI)
|
