Greek-American billionaire John Catsimatidis has said that Kimberly Guilfoyle's removal as U.S. ambassador to Greece looked orchestrated, noting it came about three weeks before the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, and relayed her denial of a donor's claim that she asked him for $100,000.
Speaking to Greece's public broadcaster ERT, Mr. Catsimatidis said Ms. Guilfoyle "did a great job" and that he does not know whether she made any mistake.
He said he does not believe President Donald Trump has spoken with her.
Mr. Catsimatidis, a longtime friend who runs the Red Apple Group, said he called her about a Wall Street Journal report on text messages that allegedly show her asking Republican donor Eric Deters for $100,000 to pay an American Express debt.
"She told me it's all lies," he said. "She told me the money never went to American Express."
He said she told him she helped Mr. Deters since he ran for governor of Kentucky and that he owed her $150,000 for work he never paid for.
"She kept saying, 'Pay me, pay me,'" Mr. Catsimatidis said.
His account is secondhand and unproven, and the dispute has two sides.
Mr. Deters says he paid Ms. Guilfoyle $300,000 in three fees for appearances before she joined government, then refused the $100,000 request and calls it a "quid pro quo."
NewsNation reported that the texts were independently verified, and CBS News reported White House officials were told they were genuine.
Her lawyers dispute their authenticity without saying which messages are in question. Mr. Deters has said he will sue her for defamation.
The White House asked Ms. Guilfoyle to resign Tuesday.
She said she is stepping aside and denies wrongdoing.
Career diplomat Josh Huck is expected to lead the embassy until a successor is named, which is unlikely before the midterms.