Former Trump Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle Sued For Defamation

Eric Deters, a former lawyer and Republican candidate, has sued former US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. The defamation lawsuit involves statements related to text messages that reportedly showed her asking him to pay $100,000 toward her personal debts.

The Details: Deters filed the lawsuit in Kentucky state court on Thursday, saying Guilfoyle and her legal team made false statements about his allegations. The Wall Street Journal (Center bias) previously reported on messages that appeared to show Guilfoyle asking Deters to send money to her American Express account. Guilfoyle's lawyer questioned whether the messages were authentic and said she was owed money for travel and events organized by Deters. Deters denied owing her money and says he previously paid her $300,000 in speaking fees.

For Context: Guilfoyle resigned from her post earlier this week, at the request of the White House, after a series of revealing reports from The Wall Street Journal. Days prior, n anonymous US official told Associated Press (Lean Left) President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio were "extremely pissed off" by Guilfoyle's alleged conduct. She has called the allegations false and said she would defend her reputation. President Trump said the administration did not like what it was reading about the situation. According to one of The Journal's reports, Guilfoyle told Greek officials that the US played a role in the collapse of the Romanian government earlier this year

What Happens Next: Deters said he plans to question Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr., Trump's eldest son, who was previously engaged to Guilfoyle. Deters has also said he would drop the lawsuit if Trump takes action on a separate legal case involving Abubakar Atiq Durrani, a doctor who is accused of fraudulently performing unnecessary spine surgeries on hundreds of patients at Cincinnati-area hospitals.

How The Media Covered It: Media outlets across the political spectrum covered the lawsuit and Guilfoyle's resignation, but New York Post (Lean Right) used more dramatic language and emphasized Deters' broader allegations and demands. CBS News (Lean Left) focused on the defamation lawsuit, the disputed text messages and the competing claims from Deters and Guilfoyle's legal team. The Post gave more attention to Deters' demand that Trump help secure a physician's extradition in exchange for dropping the lawsuit, along with his claims that he has more damaging information about Guilfoyle. 

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