Eric Deters, a Republican donor, is suing Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former U.S. Ambassador to Greece, for defamation after her resignation from the position. The lawsuit stems from alleged false statements made by Guilfoyle regarding Deters, which were revealed in text messages published by the Wall Street Journal. In these messages, Guilfoyle appeared to promise Deters assistance with his tax and legal issues in exchange for paying off her $100,000 American Express bill. This situation led to President Donald Trump requesting her resignation, which she submitted on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Deters filed the defamation lawsuit in Kentucky state court, asserting that Guilfoyle lied about him while defending herself against claims of impropriety. Guilfoyle alleged that Deters owed her money and did not fulfill his obligations, claiming she was owed for her support of various events. Deters countered that these claims, along with accusations of him being a 'known blackmailer' and providing fake text messages to the media, are false and represent a clear case of quid pro quo.
In a statement accompanying the lawsuit, Deters noted, 'Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously. Now they can in Kentucky.' The lawsuit includes charges of defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and breach of contract.
Text exchanges obtained by NewsNation show Guilfoyle pleading with Deters not to disclose details of their arrangement, warning that it could jeopardize her ambassadorship. Deters discussed the lawsuit during a CNN interview, stating, 'They first said that the text messages were fake — defamation. Then they said I was a known blackmailer. I’ve never blackmailed anybody in my life.' He further claimed that Guilfoyle's assertions about invoices are untrue, stating, 'In all the text messages, she doesn’t mention anything about me owing money. She knows that is phony.'
Guilfoyle, who was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr., has denied any wrongdoing related to the Deters controversy and other allegations of corruption, including improperly accepting gifts and threatening Greek officials. 'I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional,' Guilfoyle stated. 'I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.'