U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s former fiancée, asked a Trump donor to wire $100,000 to her American Express account before her ambassador confirmation.
Guilfoyle was preparing for her congressional hearing in July 2025 when she reached out to Eric Deters, an attorney and former congressional candidate in Kentucky, with an urgent request to pay down her American Express balance. She sent Deters payment instructions and asked him to wire the money directly to American Express, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing messages reviewed by it.
A $100,000 Request?
Guilfoyle sent the payment instructions on July 3, 2025, six days before her July 9 confirmation hearing. In a Signal message reviewed by the Journal, she said the payment would not appear anywhere if Deters wired the money to American Express.
Deters ultimately declined, telling Guilfoyle that making the payment could cost him his marriage. The exchange was part of hundreds of messages, emails and letters reviewed by the Journal.
The discussions followed months in which Deters sought Guilfoyle’s help with a Justice Department request involving the extradition of an Ohio doctor who had fled to Pakistan, as well as a tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service. He had offered payments of as much as $1 million for help getting an interview with Tucker Carlson, while also seeking assistance with his other legal and tax matters, the report added.
In a memo and accompanying exhibits provided to Benzinga, Deters described Guilfoyle and producer Drew Lynch as consultants and said he would pay only if he got results. He also wrote that Guilfoyle had asked him for $100,000 to pay off her American Express card.
Guilfoyle’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, said the ambassador disputed the authenticity of the messages. He said she had been paid to speak at events before her nomination and was owed money for traveling to and supporting those events. Deters said he did not owe Guilfoyle any outstanding balance, according to the report.
Benzinga reached out to Guilfoyle’s attorney, Jesse R. Binnall, for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Trump Family Connection
Guilfoyle’s relationship with Donald Trump Jr. had also placed her within the Trump family’s political circle.
The Journal reported that Guilfoyle also sought to help Deters with matters involving the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department. She also promised to lobby officials including FBI Director Kash Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, while separately contacting IRS Commissioner Billy Long about Deters’ tax dispute. She later warned Deters against putting discussions about money or their arrangement in writing, the report noted.
At a press conference in Athens on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Guilfoyle, calling her a strong ambassador, according to the report.
Disclaimer: This content was produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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