Trump Ally Eric Deters Drawn Into Controversy Over Alleged $100,000 Payment Request From Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle
WASHINGTON-- Eric Deters, a former congressional candidate in Kentucky and longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, is facing renewed public attention following reports that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly asked him to cover $100,000 in credit card debt in exchange for access to senior administration officials.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Guilfoyle, the former wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., repeatedly pressed Deters to pay her American Express balance before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. According to the report, she proposed that he wire the money directly to the credit card company to avoid creating a paper trail.
The allegations are based on hundreds of text messages, emails and letters reviewed by the newspaper.
Deters, 63, a former attorney, businessman and conservative radio host, declined to make the payment. He has since accused Guilfoyle of offering political favors in exchange for financial assistance.
In an interview Thursday with ABC's "Good Morning America," Deters described their relationship as a "quid pro quo," alleging that Guilfoyle promised to help him navigate Trump's political circle if he provided the money.
"She made it very clear, and the text messages make it very clear, she was so desperate for me to send that $100,000," Deters said.
He also alleged that Guilfoyle offered to become his "ride or die in the Trump world" in return for the payment.
According to the Journal, Guilfoyle sent Deters a message through Signal on July 3, 2025, six days before her confirmation hearing, urging him to resolve the matter immediately.
"Honey please I need you to get this done for me today," she wrote, according to the newspaper.
In another message, Guilfoyle allegedly instructed him to send the money directly to American Express, writing, "It won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express. Please."
Deters said he refused, explaining that he lacked the money and that making the payment could jeopardize his marriage.
The Journal further reported that Guilfoyle repeatedly discouraged Deters from putting their financial discussions in writing, warning that documentation could threaten her ambassadorship.
Guilfoyle's attorney has challenged the authenticity of the messages without identifying specific passages alleged to be inaccurate. The attorney maintained that Guilfoyle was owed money for earlier speaking engagements and travel expenses, an explanation Deters disputed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to assess the allegations when questioned by reporters during diplomatic travel in Greece.
Rubio said he did not know whether the claims were true and argued that officials needed an opportunity to review the material before responding publicly.
"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," Rubio said.
Longstanding Ties to Trump's Political Circle
Deters has supported Trump since the president's first campaign in 2016, frequently promoting his candidacy while working as a morning radio host in Ohio. The Journal reported that Deters regularly used the slogan "Trump today, Trump tomorrow, Trump forever."
His connections to Trump's family expanded through Freedom Fest, a conservative gathering he established in northern Kentucky in 2020 to oppose COVID-19 mandates.
The event featured prominent members of Trump's political circle, including his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as Guilfoyle. She became engaged to Donald Trump Jr. in 2020; the couple announced their separation in 2024.
Deters told the Journal that he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 over several years for speaking appearances at Freedom Fest. He also said he paid Donald Trump Jr. $200,000 and Eric Trump $100,000. Federal Election Commission records show that Deters contributed $125,000 to MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC.
The event continued for several years but was canceled in 2026 after organizers sold only six of 100 available VIP tickets, according to Deters. In September, he announced on Facebook that he would not organize the gathering again.
Requests for Federal Intervention
After Trump's 2024 election victory, Deters sought Guilfoyle's assistance with several matters involving federal agencies, according to the Journal.
One concerned Abubakar Atiq Durrani, an Ohio spine surgeon who fled to Pakistan after facing allegations involving unnecessary surgeries and insurance fraud. Deters said he was advising attorneys representing hundreds of Durrani's former patients and wanted the Justice Department to pursue his extradition.
Deters also sought help with an Internal Revenue Service inquiry involving a tax deduction associated with the sale of his interest in a family business.
According to the Journal, Guilfoyle contacted then-IRS Commissioner Billy Long on Deters' behalf and discussed connecting him with other senior administration officials.
Deters also offered Guilfoyle $1 million if she could arrange an interview with conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson to publicize the Durrani case. The interview never took place.
Deters said Guilfoyle ultimately failed to deliver on several commitments, including promises he said involved seeking assistance from FBI Director Kash Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
"She never came through on anything," he told the Journal.
Controversial Legal Career
Deters made several unsuccessful attempts to enter politics, including campaigns for Kentucky governor and the U.S. House of Representatives. He challenged Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.
A former criminal defense attorney and co-owner of the regional Snappy Tomato Pizza chain, Deters also has a history of disciplinary action related to his legal practice.
In 2020, he was barred from entering a courthouse in Hamilton County, Ohio, after threatening on social media to burn the building down.
The Kentucky Bar Association suspended him twice for misconduct, including making false statements in court proceedings and filing frivolous claims.
In 2021, the Kentucky Supreme Court rejected his attempt to regain his law license. The court's chief justice sharply criticized Deters' approach to the profession, describing it as "anarchy."
"Deters' lack of self-awareness is utterly amazing," the court's opinion stated.
Deters has since left the legal profession, describing himself to the Journal as a "legal outlaw."
The allegations involving Guilfoyle have placed the former candidate and longtime Trump supporter at the center of a controversy involving political access, personal finances and the relationships connecting wealthy donors and influential figures within the president's orbit.