Kimberly Guilfoyle's Donor Money Drama Explained: Inside Her $100K Credit Card Payment Scandal and Resignation

Kimberly Guilfoyle is caught in a political firestorm over allegations of financial misconduct and other controversies.

The former Fox News personality came under scrutiny following a report alleging she asked a Republican donor to pay $100,000 toward her American Express credit card bill. The allegation intensified scrutiny of her finances and political ties, later preceding her departure as U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

Here's everything to know about Guilfoyle's donor money drama.

On October 7, The Wall Street Journal published a report claiming that Guilfoyle pressured Republican donor Eric Deters to pay the $100,000 she owed to American Express.

"It won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express," she reportedly texted Deters on Signal on July 3, 2025, just days before her Senate confirmation hearing.

In another message reviewed by WSJ, Guilfoyle told Deters, "I have been officially announced honey please I need you to get this done for me today."

"You could just send it here," she reportedly added alongside payment instructions.

The retired lawyer told the outlet he declined Guilfoyle's $100,000 credit card payment request, explaining it could jeopardize his marriage.

"Your needing $100,000 urgent unfortunately is not going to work. I can't do this without getting a divorce," Deters wrote, to which Guilfoyle responded, "I've been calling you for over a week straight. You could be here meeting with Billy Long [U.S. Ambassador to Iceland]."

During an appearance on Good Morning America, Deters described his relationship with Guilfoyle as "quid pro quo," alleging she offered to use her connections within the Trump administration to assist him.

"She made it very clear, and the text messages make it very clear. She was so desperate for me to send that $100,000," he said.

According to Deters, Guilfoyle assured him she would be his "ride or die in Trump world" if he paid the bill.

Amid the allegations, Guilfoyle's attorney challenged the authenticity of the reported text messages while maintaining that Deters owed her money for earlier speaking engagements and travel expenses.

Deters disputed Guilfoyle's attorney's claim.

Another attorney for Guilfoyle, David Schwartz, told People, "The texts have not been authenticated in their original state and have not been reviewed by our team."

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to comment on the allegations as he could not confirm whether they were true.

"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 explained.

On October 9, two sources told NBC News the State Department's Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Guilfoyle's alleged misconduct.

"As a matter of policy, OIG does not confirm, deny, or comment on investigative matters," an inspector general spokesperson said, per CNN.

President Donald Trump also addressed the controversy, saying he "didn't like what we were reading."

During her first briefing on October 13, then-Press Secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign.

"She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her luck," she said.

A White House official confirmed receiving Guilfoyle's formal resignation afterward. The media personality later announced her departure in a lengthy post on X, describing her time as U.S. Ambassador to Greece as "the honor of a lifetime."

"I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world," she continued.

In the latter part of her statement, she called the allegations "false" and expressed her intention to "vigorously defend [her] name, [her] reputation, and [her] integrity.

"I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service," she continued.

In a statement, Democratic Representative Robert Garcia said the House Oversight Committee's Democratic members would continue seeking information about Guilfoyle's arrangements and dealings with political donors.

"Kimberly Guilfoyle is a fraud, and if she thinks she's escaping accountability just because she resigned, she's sorely mistaken. Our investigation is just getting started," the ranking member said.

Garcia added in a letter, "Although your tenure as the United States Ambassador to Greece is coming to an end, Oversight Democrats' inquiry will continue… Notwithstanding your announced resignation as ambassador yesterday morning, our requests for detailed information about your financial records, personal communications, and your communications with senior Administration officials on behalf of your benefactors still stand."

The controversy continued when Deters filed a defamation lawsuit against Guilfoyle and her defense lawyers, multiple news outlets, including USA Today and CBS News.

He filed the lawsuit in Kentucky state court on October 16.