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A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Julio Herrera Velutini, a billionaire banker from a prominent Venezuelan family, sought a presidential pardon after receiving a plea deal for a misdemeanor campaign finance violation in the U.S. in August 2025, which he considered damaging to his record.
- To pursue clemency, Mr. Herrera engaged lawyer Christopher M. Kise, formerly Florida's solicitor general and part of President Trump's legal team, while his daughter donated $3.5 million to a super PAC linked to Trump.
- Despite these efforts, the pardon was not granted by late 2025, leading the Herrera family to hire Alina Habba, a former Trump personal lawyer and then-Justice Department adviser, with a lucrative contract exceeding $50 million over four years.
- Habba was contracted to become general counsel at Concord Partners, a Florida company established by the Herrera family with an unclear business purpose, finalizing the deal shortly after the company's registration while still serving as U.S. attorney in New Jersey.
