Overview
- The Defense Department said it accepted the anonymous $130 million on Oct. 23 under its general gift authority for service members’ salaries and benefits.
- Multiple outlets, citing people familiar with the transaction, reported the donor is billionaire Timothy Mellon, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump.
- Congressional appropriators have requested details while budget and ethics experts question whether earmarked private funds can lawfully substitute for missing appropriations.
- Pentagon rules require an ethics review for gifts above $10,000 and extra screening for foreign ties, yet officials have not disclosed the vetting steps or the donor’s nationality as agencies referred inquiries among one another.
- The contribution covers only a tiny share of payroll needs—biweekly military pay has recently required roughly $6.5–$8 billion—after earlier reprogramming ensured the Oct. 15 payday.