Marco Rubio was standing next to Greek foreign minister. Then he is asked about Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged threat to bring down a foreign government

Secretary of State Marco Rubio brushed off inquiries on Thursday regarding the professional conduct of Kimberly Guilfoyle, the current United States ambassador to Greece, The Hill reports. Rubio addressed the situation while on diplomatic travel, making it clear he had no intention of entertaining reports about the ambassador during his time abroad.

The latest controversy stems from a report from The Wall Street Journal that alleges Guilfoyle solicited money to settle personal debts during her confirmation process. According to the report, she sought 100,000 dollars from a Trump donor to cover credit card bills while attempting to avoid a paper trail. In a message to the donor, businessman and former lawyer Eric Deters, she reportedly wrote, “What a nightmare you’ll literally cost me my ambassadorship stop writing,” at one point.

Rubio told reporters Thursday morning that he was not going to comment on the story. He argued that it is not practical to respond to every media report that emerges without prior notice or time for review. “Like, our job is not to respond every time someone decides to give the media something without any advance warning, without having any chance to look at it and see what’s in there,” he said. He added, “That’s not the way — that’s not the way you run an organization, and that’s not a serious way to conduct the policy of our country.”

This is not the first time Rubio has faced scrutiny regarding the ambassador’s performance during this trip

When pushed on the veracity of the claims, Rubio maintained that he did not know if the stories regarding Guilfoyle are “true or not true.” He emphasized that he would not engage with these topics while representing the country on foreign soil, stating, “So it’s just not going to work that way, and it most certainly is not going to work that way when I’m sitting in another country. All right?”

On Wednesday, while standing next to Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, Rubio was asked about allegations that Guilfoyle’s involvement in energy dealings may have violated State Department ethics. A report from September detailed claims that she gave preferential access to a Greek energy company during infrastructure discussions. That same report included an exchange where Guilfoyle allegedly threatened that the United States could bring down a foreign democratic government.

Rubio offered a firm refusal to discuss the matter in that setting. “This is not the forum where we’re going to address that, as simple as that. Suffice it to say our embassy here is doing a great job. Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here,” Rubio said Wednesday. He further noted, “The questions you’re asking me, we’re not addressing those at press conferences in Greece with the foreign minister and in another country.”

The reports have drawn sharp reactions from lawmakers in Washington. Top Democrats on the House and Senate foreign affairs panels sent letters to Rubio last week expressing concern over the ambassador’s actions.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on September 30 that “If these reports are accurate, Ambassador Guilfoyle is unfit to represent the United States abroad and should be removed from her position.”

Additionally, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the outgoing ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations panel, requested an immediate review of the ambassador’s conduct to address potential conflicts of interest.