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The Trump administration fired special envoy Paolo Zampolli on Thursday, hours after POLITICO published a report detailing his months-long email feud with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau over the envoy’s authority and conduct.
A U.S. official confirmed that Zampolli’s appointment had been terminated and that he was no longer a government employee.
Zampolli said he was not surprised by the dismissal following the report.
“Serving [President Donald Trump] and the United States has been the greatest honor of my life,” he said in a statement, thanking Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the administration.
“Now it is time for the next chapter — back to business, building relationships and closing deals,” he added.
Zampolli also said Trump had told him, “Why do you want to work in government when you can close all these deals?”
Dispute over diplomatic authority
The email exchanges obtained by POLITICO show Landau attempting to restrict Zampolli’s work to cultural diplomacy. Zampolli had been appointed as the U.S. special representative for global partnerships, a role intended to promote international cultural events and partnerships.
Landau, who supervised Zampolli until July, accused him of pursuing commercial and economic matters beyond his authority and warned that such activities could expose him to disciplinary action or legal liability.
Zampolli rejected the criticism and accused Landau of undermining his work.
“He has been attacking me from Day 1,” Zampolli told POLITICO, claiming Landau had tried to obstruct his efforts.
The dispute escalated into accusations of leaking information to the media. In a June email copied to more than a dozen officials, Zampolli accused Landau of leaking information connected to a New York Times report. Landau denied the accusation, calling Zampolli’s claims defamatory and inappropriate.
Landau later instructed Zampolli to stop sending what he called “unhinged emails” while he awaited further direction from the White House.
Trump ally with a long history in his circle
Zampolli’s relationship with Trump dates to the 1990s, when he worked as a modeling agent, represented Melania Trump and introduced her to the future president.
He later served on the Kennedy Center’s board during Trump’s first administration before receiving his diplomatic appointment in the second.
The email dispute raised questions about how Zampolli interpreted his responsibilities and how the State Department enforced limits on the activities of politically connected envoys.
Earlier controversy involved ICE
Zampolli’s departure also follows a separate controversy involving allegations that he asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport Amanda Ungaro, the mother of his son, to Brazil amid a custody dispute.
The New York Times reported the allegation in March. Zampolli denied asking ICE to detain Ungaro.
In June, Zampolli accused Landau of leaking information related to the story. Landau denied the allegation, and the available reporting has not established that he was responsible for the leak.
Dismissal follows publication of email exchanges
Zampolli told POLITICO he had “absolute zero surprise” that he was fired after the report appeared.
The U.S. official confirmed his termination but did not publicly detail the specific reasons for the decision. The timing followed the disclosure of the internal dispute, though the administration has not publicly said the report itself prompted the dismissal.
Zampolli’s departure ends his government service amid questions about the scope of his diplomatic activities and the conflict with the State Department’s leadership.
