State Department Fires Special Envoy Paolo Zampolli After Feud
The State Department dismissed special envoy Paolo Zampolli following a months-long conflict with Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau over Zampolli's unauthorized foreign policy activities.
The United States Department of State dismissed special envoy Paolo Zampolli on Thursday following a months-long conflict regarding the scope of his authority. The dispute centered on repeated orders from Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau for Zampolli to limit his activities strictly to cultural diplomacy. Landau warned as early as November 2025 that exceeding this legal authority could lead to dismissal.
Zampolli, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, rejected these directives and claimed he reported directly to the president. He engaged in unauthorized foreign policy activities involving nuclear energy in Hungary, space travel in Argentina, and meetings with officials in Romania, the United Arab Emirates, and Serbia. The friction became public when Landau contacted Serbia's foreign minister to clarify that Zampolli lacked authorization to represent the administration on non-cultural matters, an exchange administration officials described as "cartoonish and embarrassing."
The feud escalated when Zampolli requested an inspector general investigation into Landau, accusing him of leaking details about a personal custody dispute to The New York Times. Landau denied the claims, calling them "bizarre" and "defamatory." Zampolli also faced scrutiny for requesting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain and deport his ex-wife, Amanda Ungaro, during that custody battle.
While Zampolli posted on social media that his exit was routine and he was returning to the business world, U.S. officials confirmed he was fired. His departure follows the recent ouster of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
