Eric Deters claims Kimberly Guilfoyle sought $100,000 for credit card debt
Former Northern Kentucky candidate Eric Deters alleged a quid pro quo before a Senate confirmation hearing. The published claims triggered widespread debate about financial dealings inside national political networks. The conservative figure accused a federal appointee of trading official favors for personal debt relief.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the controversy during diplomatic travel in Greece. Rubio told reporters he does not know if the allegations are “true or not true.” He declined further comment without prior opportunity to review the released information.
The Wall Street Journal reported the disputed financial claims in a Wednesday news report. The outlet obtained letters, emails, and Signal messages between Deters and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. The diplomat reportedly asked him to resolve her $100,000 credit card balance.
Guilfoyle is the former wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and ex-fiancee of Donald Trump Jr. Deters is a 63-year-old businessman and former attorney based in Northern Kentucky. He refused to make the requested payment to protect his own marriage.
Financial Demands Before Senate Hearing
Guilfoyle told Deters she needed the debt settled before her July 9, 2025, Senate hearing. She sent a message over Signal on July 3 asking for urgent help. “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,” she wrote.
She gave instructions to wire the funds straight to her American Express card. She told him that wiring the funds would leave no paper trail. “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express,” she wrote.
The Journal reported she warned him against creating written records of their deals. Deters discussed the situation during an interview Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He claimed she promised to act as his connection within the Trump administration.
“She was so desperate for me to send that $100,000,” Deters said on television. Her attorney disputed the authenticity of the records without listing specific factual errors. The attorney stated the money was owed for past speaking engagements and travel costs.
Deters denied owing any money for her previous travel expenses or appearances. He supported Donald Trump early and promoted him as a morning radio host in Ohio. He frequently declared himself “Trump today, Trump tomorrow, Trump forever,” according to the report.
Deters built ties to the Trump family by starting Freedom Fest in 2020. The Northern Kentucky event protested pandemic health rules and drew prominent political figures. Deters told the Journal he paid substantial speaker fees to the family:
- $300,000 to Guilfoyle over several years
- $200,000 to Trump Jr.
- $100,000 to Eric Trump
Federal Election Commission records show he donated $125,000 to the MAGA Inc. super PAC. Organizers canceled the 2026 event because only six VIP tickets were sold. He announced on Facebook in September that he would never hold the event again.
Disputes Over Federal Agency Inquiries
Deters requested Guilfoyle’s assistance with federal agency disputes following the 2024 presidential election. He sought Justice Department help to extradite an Ohio spine surgeon named Abubakar Atiq Durrani. Durrani fled to Pakistan after facing charges of fraud and unneeded surgeries.
Deters also asked for intervention in an Internal Revenue Service tax deduction inquiry. That tax dispute involved the sale of his interest in a family business. Guilfoyle spoke with then-IRS Commissioner Billy Long about the matter, according to the Journal.
Deters offered Guilfoyle $1 million to secure an interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson. The interview never materialized. Deters claimed she promised to contact FBI director Kash Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Deters maintained that the diplomat failed to deliver on any of her promises. “She never came through on anything,” he said. He previously co-owned the Snappy Tomato Pizza chain before facing state disciplinary panels.
Officials barred Deters from a Hamilton County courthouse in Ohio during 2020. That judicial ban followed social media posts threatening to burn down the legal facility. The Kentucky Bar Association suspended his license twice for filing frivolous lawsuits and making false statements.
The Kentucky Supreme Court permanently denied his petition for license reinstatement in 2021. The chief justice characterized his approach to the legal profession as anarchy. “Deters’ lack of self-awareness is utterly amazing,” the court opinion reads.
Deters retired from law. He described himself to the Journal as a retired legal outlaw figure.
Senate confirmation procedures require federal nominees to undergo background reviews before diplomatic appointments. Government ethics standards restrict public officials from accepting personal financial benefits in exchange for official assistance. State bar associations manage attorney licensing to enforce ethical standards within the court system.
Deters launched unsuccessful political campaigns for Kentucky governor and Congress in the 4th Congressional District. He challenged incumbent lawmaker Thomas Massie during one of those primary races. His political efforts in Northern Kentucky produced no victories in statewide or district balloting.
