Trump's Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle Reportedly Begged MAGA Donor for $100K While Lobbying Officials on His Behalf

US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle reportedly asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay $100,000 (£75,600) towards an American Express bill while he was seeking her help with personal tax and legal matters, according to messages reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

The request was made on 3 July 2025, six days before Guilfoyle's Senate confirmation hearing. The messages reportedly show her urging Deters to send the money directly to American Express, including a payment instruction that she said would not 'show up anywhere'. Deters did not make the payment.

The reported exchange creates a fresh question for the State Department: where the boundary lies between a private financial relationship with a political donor and efforts to use government connections on that person's behalf.

A Private Financial Request Collided with an Official Appointment

Guilfoyle's request came while she was preparing for the Senate hearing that would determine whether she became the next US ambassador to Greece. The Senate ultimately confirmed her by a 51-47 vote on 18 September 2025.

The reported messages show Deters was not simply a donor in the relationship. He was also pursuing help with personal tax and legal problems, while Guilfoyle was seeking money to settle a substantial personal bill. That overlap is now central to questions about the nature of their dealings.

Guilfoyle's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, has disputed the authenticity of the messages. He also said she was owed money connected to speaking engagements, while Deters disputes owing her such payments.

Deters Was Seeking Help From the Trump Administration

The reported communications went beyond personal conversations. Deters was seeking Guilfoyle's help in bringing his tax and legal issues to the attention of senior officials in the Trump administration.

The reported exchanges indicate Guilfoyle forwarded material concerning Deters to the Internal Revenue Service and said she was lobbying the Department of Justice on his behalf. Deters had also discussed payments of as much as $1 million (£756,000) if she could help him obtain assistance from the administration.

That does not, by itself, establish that any payment was made in exchange for official action. But the combination of money, political access, and government contacts makes the relationship more consequential than a conventional donor connection.

Guilfoyle Already Faces Separate Ethics Questions

The latest allegations arrive as Guilfoyle faces separate scrutiny over her conduct as ambassador. Sen Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 6 October requesting an immediate review of allegations that Guilfoyle improperly advocated for a Greek company and allowed a registered lobbyist to attend official US government meetings.

Shaheen specifically raised questions about Christos Marafatsos, a lobbyist who reportedly accompanied Guilfoyle at government engagements, and whether private interests were properly disclosed. Those concerns are separate from the Deters allegations, but together they increase pressure on the State Department to examine how Guilfoyle has handled relationships with private individuals and businesses while representing the US overseas.

Rubio Faces Questions Over the Ambassador's Conduct

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about the allegations during his visit to Athens on 7 October but declined to address the latest claims, while defending Guilfoyle's performance as ambassador. The immediate issue for the administration is therefore not whether the reported messages establish a criminal offence. They do not. It is whether the State Department considers the reported financial dealings and efforts to assist Deters compatible with federal ethics requirements and the responsibilities of a serving ambassador.

For now, the messages remain disputed, Deters did not provide the requested $100,000 (£75,680), and no finding of misconduct has been established. The congressional calls for review mean the questions surrounding Guilfoyle's private relationships and official role are unlikely to disappear.