# State Department watchdog probes Guilfoyle over $100k demand

> U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle faces investigation after a Trump donor accused her of demanding he pay her American Express bill in exchange for access to senior officials.
- Title: State Department watchdog probes Guilfoyle over $100k demand
- Summary: U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle faces investigation after a Trump donor accused her of demanding he pay her American Express bill in exchange…
- Keywords: kimberly guilfoyle, state department, inspector general, eric deters, trump administration, u.s. ambassador to greece, ethics investigation, quid pro quo allegation, politics, news, State, Department
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/state-department-watchdog-probing-kimberly-guilfoyle-alleged-100000-de-rcna602544
- Author: Abigail Williams
- Published: 2026-10-09T20:55:52.781+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: kimberly guilfoyle, state department, inspector general, eric deters, trump administration, u.s. ambassador to greece, ethics investigation, quid pro quo allegation, politics, news
## Ambassador under investigation
U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and her embassy are under investigation by the State Department's Office of the Inspector General, two people confirmed to NBC News.
## Donor's allegation of payment demand
Legal consultant and Trump donor Eric Deters accused Guilfoyle of asking him to pay her outstanding one hundred thousand dollar American Express bill in exchange for access to senior administration officials.
## Deters describes the pressure
Deters told NBC News that Guilfoyle said he could ask her for anything in Trump world and there was no request too big. She was so desperate for that one hundred thousand dollars, he said.

> She was so desperate for that $100,000. It was a quid pro quo.
## Evidence provided to news outlets
Deters provided NBC News with a PDF document of texts and Signal messages with Guilfoyle, first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Daily Mail first reported the watchdog investigation.
## Message about hiding the payment
One message appears to show Guilfoyle instructing Deters to wire money directly to American Express because it won't show up anywhere that way. Deters said he did not pay the money.
## Guilfoyle disputes message authenticity
An attorney for Guilfoyle did not respond to a request for comment but told The Wall Street Journal she disputed the authenticity of the messages while not providing specifics.
## Vice President's cautious statement
Vice President JD Vance said Friday that these are accusations and we don't try people in the court of public opinion. He called Deters' claims one person's story and said facts must be determined.

> Let's actually see what the facts are. Let's see what the truth is.
## Secretary of State deflects questions
On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio chided a reporter for asking about accusations against Guilfoyle while he was with her in Athens, saying these things are not conducted in a press conference.

> We don't conduct these things in a press conference on a tarmac in a foreign country.
## Rare investigation alarms State Department
A senior diplomatic official said the probe set off alarm bells throughout the State Department. The watchdog is known primarily for routine embassy inspections rather than investigations into potential ethics violations.
## Precedent from previous administrations
During Trump's first term, U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Woody Johnson was investigated for making inappropriate comments on race, gender and religion. Under Biden, Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan was investigated for threatening staff.
## State Department silent on investigation
The State Department declined to comment on accusations against Guilfoyle or any investigation. A spokesperson for the inspector general's office said the watchdog does not confirm, deny or comment on investigations.
## Key takeaway

The State Department's inspector general is investigating U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a Trump donor accused her of demanding he pay her one hundred thousand dollar American Express bill for access to administration officials.