Republican donor Eric Deters filed a defamation lawsuit in a Kentucky state court on Thursday against former U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and members of her legal team, escalating an ongoing dispute over alleged financial requests.
The lawsuit follows public allegations by Deters that Guilfoyle asked him to wire $100,000 to cover her personal American Express bill prior to her July 2025 Senate confirmation hearing. Deters alleged that the request was made in exchange for political access and assistance from the Trump administration, describing the arrangement as a quid pro quo. He maintained that he never transferred the money.
Dispute Over Public Statements
Guilfoyle and her attorneys strongly denied the claims, publicly questioning the authenticity of text messages Deters provided to news organizations, including CBS News. According to CBS News, Deters initiated the legal action after Guilfoyle’s legal counsel told The Wall Street Journal that Deters had failed to satisfy financial obligations and owed Guilfoyle a balance for traveling to and supporting patriotic events.
“Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously,” Deters wrote in a statement announcing the legal action, as reported by CBS News. “Now they can in Kentucky.”
Attorneys Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz, who were named in the filing, did not immediately provide comment to CBS News regarding the litigation.
White House Communications and Diplomatic Exit
The lawsuit comes during a tumultuous week for Guilfoyle, who formally resigned her diplomatic post in Athens on Tuesday following direct requests from the White House to step down. In addition to the donor controversy, Guilfoyle faced criticism overseas over reported comments regarding the Greek government, OK! Magazine reported.
President Donald Trump distanced himself from Guilfoyle following her departure, telling reporters on Tuesday, “No, she wasn’t a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn’t.” Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. ended their engagement in 2024, according to OK! Magazine.
According to an email reported by Radar Online, Deters also reached out directly to senior administration officials days before filing his complaint. An unauthenticated Oct. 12 message purportedly sent to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Donald Trump Jr. indicated Deters was willing to forego suing Guilfoyle if officials pursued the extradition of Dr. Abubakar Durrani, an Ohio surgeon who fled federal healthcare fraud charges. Deters had previously sought political assistance to draw scrutiny to that criminal case.
Next Steps
Guilfoyle has stated publicly that she plans to vigorously defend her reputation and integrity, maintaining that the claims against her are false. It remains to be seen whether the Kentucky court will take up the complaint and whether Guilfoyle’s legal team will file motions to dismiss the action.
