Full Breakdown
Kimberly Guilfoyle’s $100,000 Payment Request Raises Ethics Questions
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The request was made via Signal messages on July 3, 2025, six days before her Senate confirmation hearing. Deters says he declined, citing personal financial constraints.
Background & Context
Guilfoyle, a former San Francisco prosecutor and Fox News commentator, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as ambassador to Greece in December 2024. Her nomination proceeded amid a high-profile breakup with Trump Jr. and scrutiny of her financial disclosures. Deters, a longtime Trump supporter who donated $125,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC in 2022, was seeking the ambassador’s help with personal tax and legal matters, including the extradition of an Ohio doctor who fled to Pakistan.
Timeline
- July 9, 2025 – Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds Guilfoyle’s confirmation hearing; the full Senate confirms her by a 51-47 vote.
- September 2025 – Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen and House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks send letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting a review of Guilfoyle’s conduct.
- July 9, 2026 – Guilfoyle attends the opening session of the U.S.–Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens.
Data & Statistics
- Requested payment: $100,000.
- Deters claims he previously paid Guilfoyle $300,000 for speaking engagements.
- Deters promised up to $1 million if Guilfoyle could secure “access to senior administration officials.”
- Senate confirmation vote: 51-47 in favor of Guilfoyle.
Official Statements & Responses
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment, saying, “Our job is not to respond every time someone decides to give the media something without any advance warning, without having any chance to look at it and see what’s in there.”
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic leaders have called for a formal investigation. Representative Gregory Meeks (NY) wrote, “If these reports are accurate, Ambassador Guilfoyle is unfit to represent the United States abroad and should be removed from her position.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Most sources cite a $100,000 request; the Australian outlet Nine reported a $140,000 figure, creating a discrepancy.
- Guilfoyle’s attorney Jesse Binnall disputes the authenticity of the messages but provides no specifics; Deters maintains the texts are genuine.
- No independent verification of the wire-transfer instructions has been released, leaving the factual basis of the alleged quid pro quo unconfirmed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express,” — Eric Deters
- “If these reports are accurate, Ambassador Guilfoyle is unfit to represent the United States abroad and should be removed from her position,” — Gregory Meeks
- “It absolutely was a quid pro quo,” — Eric Deters
- “Such actions do not serve US credibility overseas and risk undermining US diplomacy,” — Jeanne Shaheen
What’s Next
Democratic members of the House and Senate foreign-affairs committees have formally requested that the State Department conduct a review of Guilfoyle’s conduct as ambassador. Secretary Rubio has indicated no immediate comment will be offered, but the inquiry could lead to congressional hearings or an internal diplomatic investigation.