Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle's scandal is stirring up memories of MAGA privateers' past as news spreads of her $100,000 shakedown of Eric Deters, a campaign donor to President Donald Trump. The question is whether she'll follow the path of those who profit off Trump's name or stay protected among MAGA royalty.
Reports of her grift come as stories swirl about the president's fury over former campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and James Blair, who scored buckets of cash for "advising" the nationalist party in an election for the Republika Srpska.
Bloomberg reported the story this week, but the Wall Street Journal broke the news on Guilfoyle on Wednesday, just as she and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were traveling together in Greece.
Guilfoyle is far from the only one in Trump world who's profited off of their position and their relationship with the president.
Before Trump was even inaugurated, former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Trump advisor Barry Bennett started a marketing firm in Washington D.C., where they pitched to potential clients that they would help navigate Washington under the incoming president. Politico reported at the time that the firm’s proximity to Trump was a key selling point. It wasn't long, after that Lewandowski's influence in Trump world began to wane. He eventuall built a close relationship with Gov. Kristi Noem (R-N.D.), who was briefly Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security.
Lewandowski and Noem both drew scrutiny after they approved a large media contract to promote Homeland Security and ICE. Noem then alleged that Trump personally approved the $220 million appropriation.
Trump fundraiser Brian Ballard built a lucrative Trump-connected lobbying business in the first term. Those who worked there include new-White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Ballard Partners reported $88.3 million in lobbying revenue for 2025. It's a 300 percent increase, according to Reuters.
The Washington Post reported in May 2018 that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen bragged in 2017, "I’m crushing it," as he cashed in on his relationship with Trump. His consulting firm also offered to help people "navigate the new administration," the report said. The result was a "rapid flow of millions of dollars to Cohen."
"The companies cited a range of reasons for hiring Cohen. A Korean defense company competing for a U.S. contract said it paid him $150,000 to advise it on accounting practices. A global pharmaceutical company said it paid him $1.2 million to provide insight into health-care policy — money it said it was required to keep paying even after concluding that Cohen had little to offer. A telecommunications company said it turned to him simply to better understand the Trump administration," the report said.
Of those who have used their influence, only Ballard Partners has managed to continue profiting. Lewandowski and Noem were pushed out. Michael Cohen went to prison, but has worked his way back into Trump's good graces. The latest reports about Chris LaCivita and James Blair say that "knives are now fully out for these two."
The question remains how things will go for Guilfoyle, particularly since this isn't her first scandal.
On Thursday, The Bulwark questioned, "Will Trump keep Guilfoyle around? On the one hand, this is an open-and-shut case of staggering corruption—and it’s hard to imagine that this is the end of it. What’s more likely: that Guilfoyle only ever tried to sell access the one time, and got really unlucky with the dance partner she tried to sell it to? Or that the usual rules about seeing a roach in your kitchen apply?"
