Trump criticizes Alina Habba over $50 million pardon deal

President Donald Trump publicly denounced his former personal lawyer Alina Habba Mildon on October 31, 2026, calling her $50 million corporate contract with the family of Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini 'totally obnoxious and outrageous.' Mildon secured the contract while serving as a senior Justice Department adviser, just weeks before Trump granted Herrera an unconditional presidential pardon on January 15, 2026. While Trump urged that Mildon not be paid, Mildon maintains she played no role in securing the pardon.

Trump's reaction to Habba's contract

• ▪President Donald Trump privately told a confidant that the family of Julio Herrera Velutini should not pay out the remainder of their $50 million contract with Alina Habba Mildon
• ▪President Donald Trump called Alina Habba Mildon's $50 million contract 'totally obnoxious and outrageous' and 'not acceptable' at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026
• ▪President Donald Trump stated that he told Alina Habba Mildon he did not want her paid and suggested that the Herrera family should make a donation to his future presidential library

Habba's contract with Concord Partners

• ▪Alina Habba Mildon officially began her work for Concord Partners on January 1, 2026, and President Donald Trump granted Julio Herrera Velutini an unconditional pardon on January 15, 2026
• ▪Alina Habba Mildon signed a $50 million contract with Concord Partners while serving as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey before resigning on December 8, after courts ruled her appointment unlawful
• ▪Alina Habba Mildon secured a guaranteed $50 million four-year contract, paying $10 million annually plus bonuses, with Concord Partners, a company created by Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini's family
• ▪Concord Partners was registered in late October 2025 by Julio Herrera Velutini's family, and has no public presence

Habba's defense and official roles

• ▪Following her resignation as interim U.S. attorney, Alina Habba Mildon was appointed as a senior adviser to the attorney general on December 8, holding that role while starting her employment at Concord Partners
• ▪Alina Habba Mildon stated that her employment with Concord Partners was fully vetted and disclosed to the Department of Justice
• ▪Alina Habba Mildon stated on social media on October 21, 2026, that she was never paid to secure a pardon for Julio Herrera Velutini and never met with White House or Justice Department officials regarding a pardon

Kennedy Center donation allegations

• ▪President Donald Trump directed White House Counsel Will Scharf to investigate Alina Habba Mildon's involvement in a separate pay-for-influence allegation involving Richard Grenell concerning donations to the Kennedy Center
• ▪Alina Habba Mildon accused former Kennedy Center leader Richard Grenell of misleading her husband into making a multimillion-dollar donation intended for the performing arts center

Presidential pardon lobbying

• ▪Lobbyists report that the going rate to advocate for a presidential pardon during Donald Trump's second term is $1 million
• ▪Individuals seeking presidential pardons from Donald Trump have spent millions of dollars lobbying White House lawyers and the president