Trump Says He Does Not Want Habba Mildon Paid $50 Million

President Trump has publicly objected to a reported $50 million contract between his former personal lawyer, Alina Habba Mildon, and the family of a Venezuelan banker he pardoned. Speaking to reporters at a Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Oct. 31, he said: "I thought it was totally obnoxious and outrageous, and it's not acceptable," The Hill reported.

The deal was described by The New York Times in a story reported around Oct. 29. Secondary outlets say the Times reported that Habba Mildon signed the arrangement while she was an adviser at the Justice Department, though her exact title and status are unclear in the coverage. The man at the center of it, billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini, received a full presidential pardon on Jan. 15.

Habba Mildon denies any connection between her work and the pardon. The allegations are the Times' and remain unproven.

What the Times Reported

Herrera founded Bancrédito International Bank & Trust and was charged in 2022 with conspiracy, bribery and fraud. Raw Story reported that he reached a lenient plea deal in 2025 on the felony bribery charges. According to The Hill, Al Jazeera and Raw Story, the pardon Trump granted in January covered a misdemeanor campaign finance violation.

The contract reportedly guaranteed Habba Mildon $10 million a year for four years, plus bonuses, putting its total value above $50 million. Raw Story, citing the Times, reported that she signed on as general counsel of a company started by Herrera's daughter while she was still at the Justice Department. Mediaite, also citing the Times, reported that the daughter, a U.S. citizen, gave $3.5 million to a super PAC connected to Trump.

The Hill described the alleged purpose of the deal as work toward securing a pardon in her capacity as a senior adviser at the department. That is the Hill's framing of the Times allegation, which the Times based on documents, interviews and people briefed on the matter. I did not read the Times story or the underlying documents, and other outlets have described the deal as alleged. This report has not reviewed the Times story.

The Dates Do Not Line Up Yet

The timeline in the coverage so far has gaps. According to Al Jazeera, Habba Mildon signed the contract in October 2025 with a company owned by Herrera's family. The same account says the pardon came two weeks later, on Jan. 15. That wording is inconsistent with an October signing and is unverified. The Hill reported that her work under the deal began in January, weeks before the pardon.

Her exact title and the date she left the Justice Department are also not clear from the reporting available. Habba Mildon was previously Trump's personal lawyer, representing him in several civil cases, and was later named interim U.S. attorney.

What Trump Wants Done With the Money

The Times reported that the president "erupted" on learning how large the contract was, which Mediaite and Yahoo described as the previous week. According to The Hill and Mediaite, he reportedly told aides and allies that she should donate part of the money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related entity. Al Jazeera and Yahoo reported that he told at least one ally the Herrera family should stop paying her what remains.

On Saturday he addressed the pay directly. "I said I don't want her paid," Trump told reporters, according to a syndicated version of The Hill's account carried by Yahoo. He was also asked about the reported donation request, but the available text of his reply is garbled, so this story does not quote it.

The notes available show that Trump's comments objected to the size of the payment. Whether she was paid to secure the pardon is unproven.

Her Side of It

Habba Mildon has denied the claim, and Mediaite quoted part of her statement, saying the claim she had "anything to do with securing a pardon is false." The timing of the statement is not clear from the coverage. Al Jazeera and Raw Story reported that she also denied being paid for a pardon, discussing one with White House or Justice Department officials, or working to secure a pardon for anyone. No court or law enforcement agency has been reported to have accused her of wrongdoing.

What comes next is open. The questions to watch are whether the Herrera family keeps paying, whether Habba Mildon responds to the president, and whether anyone in Congress or an ethics office takes up the pardon timeline. None had been reported in the sources reviewed.