When Eric Deters canceled his MAGA Freedom Fest in September after selling just six $1,000 VIP tickets, the decision appeared to mark an embarrassing end to a Kentucky political gathering. Three weeks later, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned.
Guilfoyle’s resignation comes following multiple allegations from Deters involving years of private messages, disputed financial demands and alleged offers of access to senior figures in the Trump administration. She denies all allegations of wrongdoing, and her lawyers told Newsweek on Tuesday that Guilfoyle served in office with “integrity, honor and distinction.”
Newsweek has reached out to the White House and a lawyer for Eric Deters via email for comment.
Who Is Eric Deters?
Deters, 63, is a Kentucky businessman, former trial lawyer, conservative broadcaster and unsuccessful Republican candidate.
A significant part of his legal career involved representing former patients of fugitive surgeon Atiq Durrani. The litigation eventually became central to his falling-out with Guilfoyle when Deters sought her help securing federal attention for Durrani’s extradition and related legal and insurance disputes.
Deters has supported Trump since the beginning of his 2016 campaign, serving as the campaign’s Northern Kentucky chairman during the Republican primary.
By 2021, he had launched Freedom Fest, marketed as a free pro-Trump event with an inaugural lineup including Guilfoyle and conservative commentator Tomi Lahren.
The festival expanded in 2022, when Guilfoyle appeared alongside Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Candace Owens and other prominent conservative figures.
According to Deters, he has met President Trump five times, including at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A series of messages and photographs connect him with the president and key MAGA figures including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Kash Patel, Guilfoyle and others over the last decade.
The relationship between Deters and Guilfoyle was also financial. Deters says he paid Guilfoyle about $300,000 for speaking appearances over several years, while also paying other members of the Trump family to attend his events. Guilfoyle’s attorneys later said some money remained outstanding. Deters denied that claim.
Freedom Fest Flop Prompts Deters To Talk
In September 2026, Deters announced on Facebook that he would “never ever, ever, ever, ever” host his Freedom Fest event again, canceling the planned 2026 festival that was set to include Kid Rock, Republican Ed Gallrein, Representative James Comer and Fox News contributor Joe Concha.
Deters blamed a lack of VIP ticket sales, explaining that he had expected around 100 affluent acquaintances and business contacts to help support the event by purchasing $1,000 VIP tickets, but when he learned that just six had been sold, he was unable to fund it.
When Newsweek reported on the cancellation of the 2026 Freedom Fest, Deters shared his frustration over the lack of support from the media and the Trump administration for the victims of Durrani.
This was when he declared he would give the national media “a real anti-Trump story,” accusing Guilfoyle of being “a wicked grifter.”
Guilfoyle Resigns Amid Allegations
Deters provided news organizations with texts and Signal messages documenting his yearslong relationship with Guilfoyle. The exchange that drew the greatest scrutiny allegedly occurred in July 2025, days before her Senate confirmation hearing.
Deters alleged that Guilfoyle asked him to pay $100,000 toward her American Express account. In one alleged Signal message, Guilfoyle supplied instructions for paying American Express directly and wrote: “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express.”
Deters said he refused to make the payment, initially telling Guilfoyle that doing so would jeopardize his marriage, and has since characterized the alleged arrangement as “pay to play” and a “quid pro quo” for Guilfoyle’s help in his campaign for federal action against Durrani.
Earlier messages appeared to show Guilfoyle discussing her access to politically influential figures and warning Deters against creating a written record of their dealings.
“What a nightmare you’ll literally cost me my ambassadorship stop writing,” she allegedly told him in one exchange, while urging him to communicate through Signal instead.
Lawyers for Guilfoyle told Newsweek on Wednesday they had no further comment but to add that they have “not seen the texts in their original form so we cannot authenticate them.”
The allegations became public on October 8, when The Wall Street Journal reported on the messages supplied by Deters. The report said Guilfoyle had offered to use her connections to assist with his tax and legal problems and had claimed that senior administration officials responded to her. Her attorney said any money sought from Deters represented an unpaid balance for legitimate work performed before her nomination.
The messages emerged while Guilfoyle was already facing separate scrutiny over her conduct as ambassador, including reported questions about privately funded travel and her promotion of business interests.
As Deters’ messages were shared, reports suggested upset within the Trump administration. An unnamed U.S. official told The Associated Press that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “extremely pissed off” by the allegations. The State Department’s inspector general was also reported to be examining whether Guilfoyle had used her position to receive gifts or favors, although it was unclear whether a formal investigation had been opened.
While speaking to press on Monday, President Trump said that the administration was examining the matter and was “not happy.” The following day, White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced that Guilfoyle had been asked to resign.
“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,” Zacharia said during her first conference as press secretary. “She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.”
The announcement came before Guilfoyle had publicly confirmed her departure. Around an hour later, she posted a statement announcing that she was stepping down and describing her service in Greece as “the honor of a lifetime.”
In her statement, she denied the allegations against her, writing: “These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” adding that she would “not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.”
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