The Kimberly Guilfoyle American Express payment controversy erupted on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. ambassador to Greece asked a Trump donor to wire $100,000 to her credit card account. The messages date to July 3, 2025, six days before her Senate confirmation hearing.
Guilfoyle’s lawyer disputes the authenticity of the Signal messages. The donor, Eric Deters, says he never sent the money. This article covers what has been reported, what each side says, and what remains unknown as of Friday, October 9, 2026.
Quick Snapshot
| Detail | Latest reported information |
|---|---|
| Who | Kimberly Guilfoyle, 57, U.S. ambassador to Greece |
| Donor | Eric Deters, 63, Kentucky businessman and Trump supporter |
| Amount requested | $100,000 |
| Date of messages | July 3, 2025 |
| App used | Signal |
| Senate confirmation hearing | July 9, 2025 |
| Did Deters pay? | No, he says he declined |
| Guilfoyle’s position | Her lawyer disputes the messages’ authenticity |
Who Is Involved
Guilfoyle is a former Fox News host and former prosecutor. She was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr. The Senate confirmed her as ambassador to Greece, and she took up her post in Athens in November 2025.
Deters is a Kentucky businessman and longtime Trump supporter. He has now gone public with screenshots of the messages and a dossier of photos with Guilfoyle. He has also given interviews, including one to CBS News.
What the Wall Street Journal Reported
The Journal built its report on hundreds of messages, emails, and letters it reviewed. Among them were Signal texts between Guilfoyle and Deters.
On July 3, 2025, Guilfoyle reportedly asked Deters to handle the payment that same day. She attached a PDF with American Express bill payment instructions. She also reportedly called him twice.
In one message, she allegedly wrote, “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express.” That line has become the center of the story.
The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle told friends she felt broke after her engagement to Trump Jr. ended. She reportedly needed to pay down about $100,000 in credit card debt. Following the breakup, she filed financial disclosure forms as part of the confirmation process.
Other reporting says she repeatedly urged Deters to keep their arrangement out of writing.
How Eric Deters Responded
Deters did not make the payment. He told Guilfoyle the request would cost him his marriage. In his CBS News interview, he said that was an excuse, because he did not have $100,000 to spare.
He also made a larger claim. Deters described the request as quid pro quo and said he has no doubt it was pay to play. He argues she wanted the money in exchange for help with the Trump administration. These are his characterizations, and no official finding supports them.
Messages the Journal reviewed show Deters telling Guilfoyle he had paid her $300,000 over the years. He wrote that he had received no favors in return. He also attached a photo of a printed memo claiming his consulting firm owed her $50,000.
Guilfoyle’s Response
Guilfoyle’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, told the Journal that she disputes the messages’ authenticity. He did not offer specifics about what he considers inaccurate.
Binnall also addressed the money Deters says he paid earlier. He said any payments covered her appearances at events before her nomination. He said she still had a balance coming for her travel and support at those events.
Deters denies that he owed Guilfoyle anything. The two accounts directly conflict. Public reporting has not resolved the dispute so far.
Timeline of Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 3, 2025 | Texts and American Express payment instructions allegedly sent to Deters |
| July 9, 2025 | Guilfoyle’s Senate confirmation hearing |
| November 2025 | Guilfoyle takes up her post in Athens |
| September 25, 2026 | Journal publishes a separate investigation into her promotion of gas deals |
| October 6–7, 2026 | Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Athens |
| October 7, 2026 | Journal reports the American Express payment request |
| October 8, 2026 | Rubio declines to address questions about the allegations |
Why the Timing Raised Questions
Critics focus on the calendar. The texts reportedly arrived within a week of a hearing tied to her nomination. Deters says that proximity shows she wanted something in return.
The reporting also shows what the story does not establish. Deters says he never sent the $100,000. No court filing or official finding in the coverage reviewed confirms that money changed hands in this request. Nor do those reports confirm that any official favor followed.
That distinction matters. The allegation concerns a request, and the authenticity of that request remains disputed.
How Washington Has Reacted So Far
Rubio batted away questions about Guilfoyle’s conduct on Thursday, October 8. In early October, he had publicly praised her work in Greece. That praise responded to a separate Journal investigation.
That investigation, published September 25, examined her promotion of natural gas deals involving the Greek company Aktor Group. Two top Democrats, Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, asked the State Department to review her conduct. An embassy official in Greece said she follows all State Department ethical guidelines.
Those steps came before the American Express report. They did not address the Signal messages. Whether lawmakers will fold the new allegations into their requests remains unclear.
What Remains Unknown
Several important questions are still open:
- Whether the State Department will review the American Express messages
- Whether Guilfoyle will address the texts directly beyond her lawyer’s statement
- Whether anyone will publicly test the authenticity of the Signal messages
- Whether Congress will press for answers about the donor payments Deters describes
Why This Story Matters for U.S. Readers
Ambassadors represent the United States abroad. Senate confirmation exists to examine their finances and conflicts of interest. A request to move money in a way that “won’t show up anywhere” raises natural questions about transparency, even before any facts about the messages are settled.
At the same time, fairness requires caution. Guilfoyle has not conceded the messages are real. The Kimberly Guilfoyle American Express payment dispute rests on competing claims, and the public record contains no final resolution.
Key Takeaways
- The Journal reported on October 7, 2026 that Guilfoyle asked Deters to wire $100,000 to her American Express account.
- The alleged texts date to July 3, 2025, six days before her confirmation hearing.
- Deters says he did not pay and calls the request pay to play.
- Guilfoyle’s lawyer disputes the messages’ authenticity and says Deters’s earlier payments covered event appearances.
- Rubio declined to address the allegations on October 8.
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