Overview
- The Defense Department said it accepted the donation under its general gift‑acceptance authority with the condition that it be used for service member salaries and benefits.
- The donor’s identity has not been disclosed, and questions about who gave the money were passed between the White House, the Pentagon and the Treasury without answers.
- Congressional appropriators, including Senator Dick Durbin, requested details on how the gift and recent fund transfers comply with the Antideficiency Act.
- Democratic Senator Chris Coons warned of potential foreign‑influence risks from anonymous gifts, while budget experts questioned whether such funds can lawfully be used for payroll.
- At roughly 1.3 million active‑duty troops, the $130 million amounts to about $100 per person, and follows earlier shifts of billions from Defense R&D accounts to keep paychecks going during the shutdown.