Kimberly Guilfoyle Sued By Trump Donor Eric Deters Over Alleged $1M Deal To Help Spine Surgeon's Victims

Trump donor Eric Deters has sued Kimberly Guilfoyle and several of her lawyers in Kentucky, alleging that they defamed him when responding to questions about his dealings with the former US ambassador to Greece.

The reported complaint also alleges that Guilfoyle abandoned an agreement linked to efforts to publicise the cases of fugitive spine surgeon Abubakar Atiq Durrani's former patients. Deters previously told The Wall Street Journal that he offered her $1 million (£750,000) if she secured him an interview on Tucker Carlson's programme to discuss the cases.

Three Statements at the Centre of the Case

Deters is representing himself and seeks compensatory and punitive damages. Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing, while her lawyers have disputed the authenticity of messages he supplied and said he owed her unpaid fees.

NewsNation reported that Guilfoyle resigned on Tuesday after the White House asked her to step down.

Deters says Guilfoyle and her legal team defamed him in comments to the Journal when the newspaper approached them about his allegations. According to reports of the complaint, they described him as a 'known blackmailer', said the text messages he shared were fake and claimed he owed Guilfoyle money.

He rejects all three claims and alleges that the statements damaged his personal and professional reputation.

The dispute became public through the Journal's investigation. Deters told the newspaper that he had paid Guilfoyle $300,000 (£225,000) in appearance fees over several years. He alleged that she later asked him to send another $100,000 (£75,000) to American Express before her Senate confirmation hearing.

Deters said he did not make that payment.

Jesse Binnall, Guilfoyle's lawyer, disputed the authenticity of the messages and said she was owed a balance for appearances at events. Deters denied owing her the money.

The Journal also reported that malpractice insurer MedPro had accused Deters in a separate lawsuit of attempting to extract payments through threats and blackmail. Deters denied those allegations, calling the case 'the most ridiculous BS lawsuit of all time'.

That separate dispute is not a finding that the statements challenged in Deters' defamation lawsuit were true.

The $1 Million Durrani Allegation

The proposed $1 million payment was separate from both the appearance fees and the alleged American Express request.

According to the Journal's investigation, Deters offered Guilfoyle the money if she secured him an interview on Carlson's programme, where he wanted to draw national attention to the Durrani cases.

The newspaper reported that messages showed Guilfoyle contacting people in Carlson's circle about an interview. Carlson told the Journal that he had never heard of Deters and that Guilfoyle did not influence his guest selection.

NewsNation reported that Deters' lawsuit alleges she breached an agreement to help Durrani's former patients in exchange for a future payment. Whether an enforceable agreement existed, and precisely what it required, remains disputed.

Durrani Remains Wanted as Both Sides Dispute Dealings

Durrani operated spine clinics in Ohio and Kentucky. He was indicted in October 2013 on charges including healthcare fraud, false statements, mail fraud and illegal drug distribution, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.

The agency lists him as wanted and identifies Pakistan as his possible whereabouts. Investigators believe he left the United States while awaiting trial after a court refused permission for him to travel abroad. The charges against him remain allegations.

Deters has spent years pressing for Durrani's extradition. In Facebook videos posted on Tuesday, he said he released the Guilfoyle material to bring the former patients' cases to a national audience.

Guilfoyle's legal team has characterised her involvement as an effort to raise awareness. Binnall told the Journal that she 'will never apologise for offering to help shed light on a case' involving Durrani.

Deters disputes her lawyers' account of their dealings and is asking a jury to award damages. The allegations in his lawsuit have not been adjudicated.