London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 21, 2025

Britain's former US ambassador was investigated over an affair

Britain's former US ambassador was investigated over an affair

Britain's former ambassador to the United States was investigated over an alleged affair with a journalist, it was claimed last night. Kim Darroch is said to have faced claims of passing White House secrets to former CNN reporter Michelle Kosinski.

The married 66-year-old was later cleared of wrongdoing following a probe by the Department of Justice.Suspicion among US officials was reportedly raised after a series of articles by Miss Kosinski, 46, detailing highly-sensitive information about the Trump administration.


Former British Ambassador Kim Darroch and his wife Vanessa post together in 2018. Darrock was investigated over an alleged affair with a CNN journalist - Michelle Kosinski. He was later cleared of wrongdoing following a probe by the Department of Justice


Lord Darroch was reportedly suspected of tipping off Miss Kosinski about plans to make CIA director Mike Pompeo the Secretary of State, which did later happen.

Miss Kosinski is also said to have learned about Mr Pompeo’s plans for a trip to North Korea to push for the return of three US citizens. No story was reported but the White House became more interested in Miss Kosinski.

She also apparently raised eyebrows when tipped off about US plans for tough sanctions against Russia.

The classified proposals had reportedly been discussed in private with allies in France, Germany and the UK before being announced on April 6.

A source told The Sun that Miss Kosinski ‘knew about these sanctions before they were announced’. She also caused concern after learning about a behind-closed-doors feud between Donald Trump and the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.


US officials believed Michelle Kosinski, pictured left with her British husband Kimbell Duncan at the 2015 White House Correspondents Dinner, was being tipped off by Lord Darroch about highly sensitive Trump administration information


Lord Darroch has been married for 42 years and has two grown-up children.

He has vehemently denied any impropriety and suggestions that he leaked the stories. His affair with the journalist allegedly began at the start of 2018.

The Sun said it had seen ‘intimate’ messages between the pair detailing their plans to meet up.

US authorities probed the alleged relationship in detail over fears it could open up Lord Darroch to blackmail by hostile states.

Miss Kosinski, who is also married, left her post at CNN just five months after the envoy left his top job, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Lord Darroch quit his Washington post in July last year after leaked cables revealed he had branded Mr Trump ‘incompetent’.


Lord Darroch quit his Washington post in July last year after leaked cables revealed he had branded Mr Trump ‘incompetent’. Pictured: Donald Trump greets Kim Darroch


He also claimed the President ‘radiates insecurity’, telling British officials that they need to ‘start praising him for something he’s done’ when they meet him.

Officials are likely to be shocked by the allegation one of Britain’s most senior diplomats had an affair with a journalist who could have published material linked to him.

Miss Kosinski was approached for comment last night.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ASU Launches ASU London, Extending Its Innovation Brand to the UK Education Market
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit China in January as Diplomatic Reset Accelerates
Google Launches Voluntary Buyouts for UK Staff Amid AI-Driven Company Realignment
UK braces for freezing snap as snow and ice warnings escalate
Majority of UK Novelists Fear AI Could Displace Their Work, Cambridge Study Finds
UK's Carrier Strike Group Achieves Full Operational Capability During NATO Drill in Mediterranean
Trump and Mamdani to Meet at the White House: “The Communist Asked”
Nvidia Again Beats Forecasts, Shares Jump in After-Hours Trading
Wintry Conditions Persist Along UK Coasts After Up to Seven Centimetres of Snow
UK Inflation Eases to 3.6 % in October, Opening Door for Rate Cut
UK Accelerates Munitions Factory Build-Out to Reinforce Warfighting Readiness
UK Consumer Optimism Plunges Ahead of November Budget
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Legal Storm Over Trump Speech Edit
UK Prime Minister Attempts to Reassert Authority Amid Internal Labour Leadership Drama
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
×