Eric Deters Accuses Kimberly Guilfoyle of ‘Pay to Play’ Scheme
Businessman Eric Deters has publicly accused Kimberly Guilfoyle, the current U.S. ambassador to Greece, of asking him for $100,000 to pay her American Express bill. He claims this request was made in exchange for assistance with the Trump administration before her Senate confirmation hearing. Deters expressed his belief that Guilfoyle should lose her ambassadorship due to this alleged behavior, following the publication of their text exchanges by the Wall Street Journal.
Deters revealed in an interview that he did not provide the money, stating he did not have the funds at that time. He also mentioned concocting an excuse involving his wife to avoid making the payment. Sources confirmed to CBS News that the text messages detailing the request were genuine, causing some discontent among Trump aides.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Guilfoyle reached out to Deters a few days before her congressional hearing to request the $100,000, purportedly to settle her credit debt in a discreet manner. Deters provided CBS News with screenshots and a PDF containing instructions from Guilfoyle, as part of a larger file documenting grievances against figures associated with Trump.
Deters, a former lawyer from Kentucky, has been a supporter of Trump for years. He also led a campaign to extradite Dr. Abubakar Durrani, an orthopedic spine surgeon accused of healthcare fraud. Despite reaching out to Trump-associated figures for support in this matter, Deters did not receive the assistance he sought. Deters had anticipated financial benefits from Durrani’s extradition, as he represents many of Durrani’s former patients.
In private communications, Deters appealed to figures in the Trump circle, including Trump Jr., suggesting potential financial gain in the Durrani matter. However, the requests seemed to yield no substantial results for Deters.
Deters also claims to have paid significant sums to Guilfoyle and other Trump figures for appearances and consulting services. He asserts he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 in appearance fees, and gave similar sums to other Trump-related individuals.
Recently in Greece, Secretary of State Marco Rubio refrained from commenting extensively on the allegations against Guilfoyle. Rubio urged caution in trusting unverified sources, emphasizing the importance of formal processes over informal settings like press conferences. Vice President JD Vance also expressed disapproval over the hypothetical scenario but withheld further comments due to a lack of detailed information.
Determined to make his experiences known, Deters aims to spotlight the issue of Dr. Durrani’s victims. He also seeks Guilfoyle’s removal from her ambassadorial position, signaling his readiness to pursue legal actions to advance his cause.