Kimberly Guilfoyle Faces Defamation Lawsuit Amid Controversy

Kimberly Guilfoyle is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by Eric Deters, a Trump donor whose allegations played a role in her recent resignation as the U.S. ambassador to Greece. Deters, who filed the suit in Kentucky’s Kenton Circuit Court, also accuses attorneys Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz of defamation and false-light invasion of privacy. A breach-of-contract claim against Guilfoyle is included in the lawsuit as well. Deters seeks compensatory and punitive damages and has requested a jury trial.

This lawsuit is the latest development in a public feud between Guilfoyle and Deters, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump. Deters claims he paid Guilfoyle approximately $300,000 for appearances at his Freedom Fest events. The lawsuit comes just days after Guilfoyle’s resignation was announced by the White House, following reports related to her interactions with Deters. Guilfoyle denies any wrongdoing and has stated she will fiercely defend her reputation.

Deters accuses Guilfoyle and her legal team of defaming him in statements to The Wall Street Journal. According to the lawsuit, Deters alleges the Journal was informed by Guilfoyle’s team that text exchanges he provided were false and labeled him as a “known blackmailer,” which Deters denies. He maintains the authenticity of the messages and disputes the claim he owed money to Guilfoyle.

The lawsuit is partially due to an allegation from Deters that Guilfoyle solicited $100,000 for her American Express account before her Senate confirmation hearing. Deters describes this as a “pay-to-play” scenario related to help he sought for Atiq Durrani’s former patients. Guilfoyle’s lawyers refute this characterization, asserting the amount was for prior legitimate services.

Deters escalated the conflict by posting a Facebook video threatening to release a 16-minute phone recording containing damaging information about Guilfoyle. He suggested the recording could severely impact the Trump administration and potentially affect political figures like JD Vance and Marco Rubio. The contents of this recording remain unreleased, leaving his claims unverified.

The Wall Street Journal’s report on October 8 drew national attention to the matter, detailing messages in which Deters alleges Guilfoyle requested the $100,000 payment to address issues with senior Trump officials. Deters states he declined the payment.

Guilfoyle’s tenure as ambassador faced scrutiny for privately funded travel and promotion of business interests. President Trump remarked that the administration was reviewing the situation and expressed discontent.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed Guilfoyle’s requested resignation, acknowledging her contributions. Trump commended Guilfoyle’s performance but noted dissatisfaction with the allegations. Guilfoyle called her role “the honor of a lifetime” and pledged to defend against false accusations.

The controversy has now extended to the courts, following her departure from her diplomatic role.