Trump rips Alina Habba's $50M deal with pardoned Venezuelan banker's family
Key Points:
- President Trump criticized his former personal attorney Alina Habba for her reported $50 million contract with the family of Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini, calling the deal "totally obnoxious and outrageous" and saying he did not want her to be paid.
- Habba was hired as general counsel for Concord Partners, a family company linked to Herrera, who was pardoned by Trump shortly after she started the job; Habba denies any connection between her employment and the pardon, and the White House also denies any link.
- Trump expressed anger upon learning of the contract and suggested some of the money should benefit his future presidential library or related entities, though he did not expect Habba herself to pay.
- Habba, once a close Trump loyalist and his personal attorney, recently married Turkish billionaire Turhan Mildon in a lavish $10 million wedding attended by notable figures, and has been involved in a dispute over a $17.6 million wire transfer linked to Mildon and former Kennedy Center executive Ric Grenell.
- The controversy surrounding Habba's contract and personal dealings marks a significant fall from favor within Trump's circle, amid ongoing scrutiny of her professional and personal activities.