Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle Accused of Soliciting $100,000 Donor Payment

U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly pressured Trump donor Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her July 2025 confirmation hearing. Text messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal suggest Guilfoyle requested the payment via wire transfer to avoid a paper trail, offering to use her influence within the Trump administration to help Deters with personal tax and legal issues.

Deters, a former congressional candidate, stated he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 in speaking fees over several years but refused the $100,000 credit card payment. Guilfoyle's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, has disputed the authenticity of the messages and asserted that any payments received were for speaking engagements.

These allegations emerge alongside separate criticism from U.S. lawmakers regarding Guilfoyle's promotion of a Greek company. Despite the controversy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly defended Guilfoyle's performance as ambassador.