Eric Deters sues Kimberly Guilfoyle and her lawyers for defamation in Kentucky
Republican donor Eric Deters filed a defamation suit in Kentucky state court against Kimberly Guilfoyle and her legal team, days after Guilfoyle resigned as ambassador to Greece amid his claims that she sought $100,000 from him.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Eric Deters, a Republican donor, filed a defamation lawsuit in Kentucky state court on Thursday 15 October against Kimberly Guilfoyle and her legal team. CBS NewsLC “has filed a defamation lawsuit against Guilfoyle and her legal team” Read at CBS News ↗ The IndependentLC “He filed the lawsuit in Kentucky state court on Thursday.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Deters had accused Guilfoyle of asking him to wire $100,000 to pay her American Express bill in exchange for her help with the Trump administration ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing. CBS NewsLC “accused Kimberly Guilfoyle of asking him to wire her $100,000 to pay her American Express bill” Read at CBS News ↗ Left · 1The Wall Street Journal reported the allegation, citing Signal messages in which Guilfoyle allegedly wrote on 3 July, "Honey please I need you to get this done for me today." The IndependentLC ““Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,” she texted Deters via Signal on July 3” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2Guilfoyle was pushed out of her post as ambassador to Greece and announced her resignation on Tuesday; The Independent says this came at the encouragement of the White House. CBS NewsLC “Guilfoyle was pushed out of her ambassadorship to Greece earlier this week, announcing her resignation Tuesday.” Read at CBS News ↗ The IndependentLC “announcing her resignation from the post on Tuesday at the encouragement of the White House” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Guilfoyle's lawyers have disputed the authenticity of the text messages Deters shared with news outlets. CBS NewsLC “Guilfoyle's team publicly disputed the authenticity of text messages Deters shared” Read at CBS News ↗ The IndependentLC “Her lawyers have disputed the authenticity of the text messages Deters shared with media outlets.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Deters said Guilfoyle's lawyers gave the Wall Street Journal a statement claiming Deters owed Guilfoyle money and had not met obligations; the Journal quoted the attorney as saying Guilfoyle "was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events," which Deters denies. CBS NewsLC “Guilfoyle "was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events," which Deters denies.” Read at CBS News ↗
Left · 1Deters told CNN he did not pay Guilfoyle and did not owe any money. He said the texts show Guilfoyle asking him to "paper" the payment by writing a letter saying he owed her, which he called phony. The IndependentLC “Deters told CNN earlier this week that he did not give Guilfoyle the money.”“What she talks about is papering this.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1In a statement with the suit, Deters wrote: "Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously. Now they can in Kentucky." CBS NewsLC “Now they can in Kentucky.” Read at CBS News ↗ Left · 1In a Facebook video, Deters said the suit "might bring down the entire Trump administration" and "may end the JD Vance/Marco Rubio ticket," while saying he still supports the administration's policies. The Independent presents this as Deters's own claim. The IndependentLC ““might bring down the entire Trump administration — an administration which I have supported from day one, whose policies I still support.””““It also may end the JD Vance/Marco Rubio ticket,” he cautioned.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2The suit names attorneys Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz, whom CBS News said it had contacted for comment. The Independent said Guilfoyle had not commented on the lawsuit beyond an earlier social media post. CBS NewsLC “CBS News has reached out to the attorneys named in the lawsuit — Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz — for comment.” Read at CBS News ↗ The IndependentLC “Guilfoyle has not commented on the lawsuit or her resignation beyond a social media post” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1On resigning, Guilfoyle thanked Trump for the opportunity to serve and vowed to fight the "false" allegations "vigorously." The IndependentLC “vowed to “vigorously” fight the “false” allegations against her” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets report the suit as the next step in a scandal that cost Guilfoyle her ambassadorship. CBS News gives a short, sourced account; The Independent adds Deters's political warnings and the text-message details.
- Emphasis
- CBS stresses the lawsuit, the lawyers named and the disputed lawyer statement. The Independent stresses Deters's claim the case could damage the administration, the Signal messages and Guilfoyle's resignation statement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet reports the content of the complaint's legal claims or any response from Guilfoyle's lawyers. Neither independently verifies the text messages.
- Charged language
- “begged”“bring down entire Trump administration”
- For example
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“Now they can in Kentucky.” — CBS News
“Donor Kimberly Guilfoyle begged for money files defamation suit” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Deters filed a defamation suit in Kentucky state court on 15 October against Guilfoyle and her legal team.
- Guilfoyle announced her resignation as ambassador to Greece on Tuesday.
- Guilfoyle's lawyers dispute the authenticity of the texts Deters shared.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Deters owed Guilfoyle money
- Left
- Deters says he owed nothing and that Guilfoyle asked him to fabricate a debt letter. Guilfoyle's lawyers, per the Wall Street Journal, said she was owed a balance for supporting events.
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Authenticity of the text messages
- Left
- Guilfoyle's lawyers dispute their authenticity. Deters shared them with outlets, and the Journal published them.
Eric Deters person
Deters says the claims by Guilfoyle and her lawyers that his allegations were false, that he owed money, and that he was a blackmailer are defamatory. He denies owing Guilfoyle anything and says the suit could have major political consequences.
“I’ve never blackmailed anybody in my life. Defamation.” — The Independent
“Deters said he did not owe Guilfoyle any money.” — The Independent
Kimberly Guilfoyle person
Guilfoyle, through her lawyers, disputes the authenticity of the texts and says she was owed a balance for her work at events. On resigning she called the allegations false and said she would fight them vigorously. She has not commented on the suit.
“Guilfoyle "was owed a balance for traveling to and supporting these patriotic events,"” — CBS News
“Guilfoyle has not commented on the lawsuit or her resignation beyond a social media post” — The Independent
Left2 articles
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Eric Deters files defamation lawsuit against Kimberly Guilfoyle
Neutral Brief, factual report of the filing, with Deters's statement and a note that the named attorneys were contacted for comment.
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Mixed Fuller account that foregrounds Deters's dramatic political warnings and the Signal text details, with Guilfoyle's resignation context.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 15 Oct 19:54 First CBS NewsLC Eric Deters files defamation lawsuit against Kimberly Guilfoyle
- 15 Oct 21:33 +1h 39m The IndependentLC Donor Kimberly Guilfoyle begged for money files defamation suit that he says could ‘bring down entire Trump administration’
- 15 Oct 22:26 +2h 32m Washington ExaminerR Kimberly Guilfoyle faces new defamation lawsuit after ambassador exit over alleged corruption
- 15 Oct 22:46 +2h 51m New York PostR Donor slaps suit against Guilfoyle, threatens to release dirt on Trump if fraudster isn’t extradited: ‘This is not extortion’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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