Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, is hitting back hard, with her attorneys refuting businessman Eric Dinters’ claims of a “quid pro quo.” According to a statement from her lawyers, Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz, Dinters still owes her approximately $150,000, and the ambassador’s team is exploring all available legal options to recover the outstanding amount and pursue additional claims. The attorneys also addressed reports concerning the ambassador’s use of private aircraft, confirming that all travel was conducted in full compliance with State Department guidance and applicable regulations. They categorically reject any allegations of impropriety, asserting that Guilfoyle has adhered to all required federal ethics, gift acceptance, and disclosure obligations.
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Kimberly Guilfoyle’s attorneys: The agreement and the unpaid balance
According to the statement, the financial dispute dates back to May 2024, when Kimberly Guilfoyle was working in the private sector. Her attorneys state that Eric Dinters hired her to serve as the keynote speaker at his “Freedom Fest” events in Kentucky. The written agreement stipulated a flat fee of $200,000. However, according to the ambassador’s side, Dinters left $150,000 of that amount unpaid. Her legal representatives claim that Dinters delayed payments for months, occasionally sending partial amounts while citing financial difficulties.
“Asking to be paid is not corruption”
Particularly pointed is the attorneys’ response to the public allegations of transactional misconduct. “Asking a client to pay for work that has already been performed is not corruption. It is the exact opposite of corruption,” they state pointedly.
They also level a new allegation, claiming that Dinters had previously offered Guilfoyle one million dollars to lobby government officials on his behalf regarding a personal legal matter — an offer they say she immediately declined.
Guilfoyle’s attorneys respond to private jet travel allegations
The statement also seeks to address questions raised about the ambassador’s use of private aircraft. Her attorneys maintain that prior to any such travel, Kimberly Guilfoyle sought and received the necessary guidance from the State Department, which she followed in full.
According to the statement, the ambassador complied with all federal requirements regarding ethics, gift acceptance, and travel expense disclosures. Her legal team also points to a prior statement from the U.S. Embassy in Athens, which, they note, had already confirmed her compliance with the relevant regulations.
The reference to energy diplomacy and the Vertical Corridor
At the same time, Guilfoyle’s attorneys emphasize that a central priority of her tenure is strengthening the strategic partnership between Athens and Washington, with a particular focus on the energy sector. In this context, they highlight her role in advancing U.S. energy interests across Europe and in developing the Vertical Corridor. The attorneys conclude by reiterating that they are pursuing all available legal avenues to recover the $150,000.
The full statement from Kimberly Guilfoyle’s attorneys
“STATEMENT FROM ATTORNEYS JESSE BINNALL AND DAVID M. SCHWARTZ ON BEHALF OF AMBASSADOR KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE REGARDING ERIC DINTERS’ FALSE ALLEGATIONS AND TRAVEL EXPENSES
Eric Dinters owes Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle approximately $150,000 for speaking engagements and consulting services she provided long before she was nominated for the position of ambassador. Mr. Dinters appeared on national television networks to frame a contractual dispute as misconduct and to attack not only Ambassador Guilfoyle, but also President Trump and other prominent members of the administration. His own words and the contract he signed demonstrate that his statements are false.
Before entering public service, Kimberly Guilfoyle was an accomplished attorney, a former prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles, a nationally recognized television personality, and one of President Trump’s most prominent political supporters in the country. She was in high demand as a keynote speaker and as a strategic communications and fundraising consultant — activities she ceased entirely upon entering public service. Those who hired her paid for her time because of her profile, background, and accomplishments. Eric Dinters was one of them.
Mr. Dinters hired Ms. Guilfoyle as the keynote speaker for his “Freedom Fest” events in Kentucky, in order to boost his public profile ahead of his candidacies for Governor of Kentucky and for Congress. On May 20, 2024, he signed a written service agreement with an independent agency that had been retained to book appearances and collect fees on her behalf. The contract stipulated a flat fee of $200,000, payable by May 31, 2024. Additional speaking engagements and consulting services were also agreed upon, including directly, and Mr. Dinters agreed to pay for the strategic communications and fundraising services Ms. Guilfoyle provided. This agreement was made in the presence of a third party, who has confirmed it under oath.
Mr. Dinters did not fulfill these obligations. He failed to meet the contractual payment deadline and subsequently, over the course of many months, sporadically transferred partial payments via wire transfer while continually offering various reasons for non-payment. In his own text messages, he shifts blame onto his business partner and his attorneys and describes himself as “a millionaire with a liquidity problem.” Ms. Guilfoyle repeatedly showed understanding and extended him additional time. Ultimately, he paid a portion of what was owed and simply never paid the remainder. Approximately $150,000 for speaking engagements that took place and consulting services rendered in 2024 and early 2025 remains outstanding to this day.
This is what Mr. Dinters now calls a “quid pro quo”: asking a client who has fallen behind on payments to settle a past-due debt. When Ms. Guilfoyle was preparing to leave the private sector to enter public service, she did what any professional would do and sought to collect her outstanding receivables. Asking a client to pay for work that has already been performed does not constitute corruption. It is the exact opposite.
Mr. Dinters has told journalists that he paid Ms. Guilfoyle for speaking appearances, that he “paid more than he should have but didn’t care because he was cultivating his relationship with Trump’s circle,” and that he offered her one million dollars to help publicize and elevate his private medical malpractice lawsuit and bring it to the attention of government officials. She declined. He has acknowledged that he never paid the remaining balance and that he received nothing from her in return.
Equally misleading are the reports regarding the ambassador’s travel. Before using any private aircraft, Ambassador Guilfoyle sought, received, and followed the State Department’s guidance, complying with the department’s travel regulations. She has adhered to all applicable federal ethics, gift acceptance, and disclosure requirements, as the embassy has already confirmed.
Since November 4, 2025, when she made history as the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador Guilfoyle has centered her tenure — under President Trump — on U.S. energy leadership and the advancement of American energy security interests across Europe. She champions the expansion of American energy presence, strengthens the U.S.-Greece strategic partnership, and promotes American energy dominance throughout Europe and along the Vertical Corridor.
Ambassador Guilfoyle has served and will continue to serve with integrity, honor, and distinction. We are exploring all available legal remedies to collect this debt, as well as any other potential legal grounds for additional claims.”
