Overview
- President Trump publicly condemned Alina Habba Mildon on Saturday at Mar‑a‑Lago, calling a reported $50 million multiyear deal “totally obnoxious and outrageous” and saying it was unacceptable.
- The New York Times reported that the family of banker Julio Herrera Velutini guaranteed Habba more than $50 million over four years to serve as general counsel for Concord Partners, a company registered days before the contract was signed.
- Reporting shows Habba signed the deal while serving as acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, later took a Justice Department adviser role, and Mr. Trump granted Herrera a full pardon on January 15, 2026.
- Habba Mildon has denied doing any work to obtain a pardon or being paid to secure clemency, and the episode has prompted a White House counsel review and growing calls for oversight.
- No public documentary evidence has been produced to show a pay‑for‑pardon transaction, but the timing, opaque company structure and large payment guarantee have intensified media scrutiny and could lead to further probes or political fallout.