Once, Kimberly Guilfoyle seemed close to officially joining the Trump family, and she has continued to maintain close ties with the administration, even after she and the president’s son ended their relationship. Now, she is accused of using those connections for profit, and rather than deny the allegations, the Trump Administration has asked her to resign.
The allegation against Guilfoyle comes from major Trump donor Eric Deters and, according to Newsweek, is backed by evidence. Deters has provided copies of messages in which Guilfoyle appears to urge him to pay her $100k and work out a way to do so without an obvious paper trail.
“It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express.”
Guilfoyle’s attorney says that her client was owed money for travel and speaking engagements. Deter denies this, though he says he’s paid her for similar services before. In this case, he says, it was very clear to him that the money was a pay-to-play to get access to the Trump Administration.
Guilfoy hasn’t explained why a legitimate payment would need to be made discreetly.
However, she released a public statement ending her time as Ambassador to Greece, in which she praises Trump, lauds her time in the Administration, and blanket-denies the allegations.
“I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my 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.”
Meanwhile, Trump and his latest press secretary, Katie Zachariah, are projecting distance from Guilfoyle. Zacharia spoke to the media Tuesday, acknowledging the allegations and stating that Guilfoyle has been asked to resign.
Trump himself responded to press questions about Guilfoyle shortly after. He characterized her as someone who “I guess dated my son a long time ago.”
“She wasn’t a member of my family.”
According to The Independent, Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. began dating in 2018, got engaged in 2020, and were together for 6 years before they split up.
Trump has a reputation for putting artificial distance between himself and anyone caught or accused of legal wrongdoing, so Guilfoyle isn’t the first to be separated from the family and Administration.
At this time, Guilfoyle faces no criminal charges and has not taken any publicly reported legal action regarding the allegations.
