The scrutiny centers on a lucrative four-year arrangement where Alina Habba Mildon agreed to serve as general counsel for Concord Partners at an annual salary of $10 million plus bonuses. While negotiating and starting the position, she occupied influential Justice Department posts, including acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey and senior adviser to the attorney general. Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini, whose family is tied to the firm, received a presidential pardon on January 15 following an earlier plea agreement on federal bribery charges. Although Habba Mildon strongly denied lobbying for the pardon, Donald Trump publicly condemned the arrangement as an unacceptable exploitati…
Key points
Donald Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that he informed his former lawyer he did not w…: Donald Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that he informed his former lawyer he did not want her to be paid.
Alina Habba Mildon denied any wrongdoing and stated she never discussed Herrera's clemenc…: Alina Habba Mildon denied any wrongdoing and stated she never discussed Herrera's clemency with the White House or Justice Department.
It remains completely unclear whether the four-year corporate contract between Habba Mild…: It remains completely unclear whether the four-year corporate contract between Habba Mildon and Concord Partners can be terminated early.
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US President Donald Trump has criticised a $50 million contract secured by his former personal lawyer Alina Habba Mildon with a company linked to a Venezuelan banking family, saying the arrangement was unacceptable while she held a position at the Justice Department.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, Trump described the deal as “totally obnoxious and outrageous”. He also said he had told Habba Mildon that he did not want her to receive the money.
“I thought it was terrible,” Trump said. “I told her, and I said, ‘I don’t want her paid.’ I thought we had somebody speak to the people that did it, and she used her relationship to do that. And it was far too much.”
The New York Times reported last week that the family of Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini had guaranteed Habba Mildon more than $50 million over four years to serve as general counsel at Concord Partners. The reported agreement included an annual payment of $10 million, along with additional bonuses.
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