Trump ‘friend’ donates $130m to help fund US military during shutdown
An anonymous donor is giving $130m (£100m) to the Pentagon to help pay US troops during the government shutdown, sparking ethics concerns.
U.S. defense officials confirmed the donation, which President Donald Trump said will make up the shortfall in pay for the country’s 1.32 million military personnel, but declined to identify the donor.
Trump did, however, provide some clues, saying Saturday that “he’s a big supporter of mine” and that he’s a U.S. citizen.
The government shut down more than three weeks ago after lawmakers failed to approve a funding deal. The Trump administration paid its troops last week by reallocating $8 billion to military research, but it’s unclear what will happen on the next payday at the end of the month.
It’s now been 25 days since the shutdown is poised to become one of the longest in U.S. history.
“The donation was made with the condition that it be used to offset the cost of military salaries and benefits,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Friday, adding that the money was authorized under the department’s “general gift acceptance authority.”
Trump previewed the donation Thursday, while refusing to identify the donor, saying he “didn’t really want this recognition recognized.”
Before leaving for Asia on Saturday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the donor was “a great gentleman,” “a patron of the arts,” a “patriot” and a “wonderful man” who “doesn’t want publicity.”
“He prefers that his name not be mentioned, which is pretty unusual in the world I come from,” Trump said. “In the political world, you want your name mentioned.”
“He invested $130 million to make sure – that’s a lot of money – that the military gets paid, and he’s a big supporter of mine,” he continued.
The funds amount to approximately $100 per service member.
Even though the White House was able to reallocate defense funds to pay the troops last week, it remains to be seen what happens on the military’s next payday on October 31. Congress was unable to pass a bill that would keep troops paid during the shutdown.
Most civil servants have been furloughed or, in some cases, forced to work without pay for the duration of the shutdown.
According to Department of Defense rules, donations over $10,000 must be reviewed by ethics officials “to determine whether the donor is involved in any claims, procurement actions, litigation, or other special matters involving the Department that should be considered prior to acceptance of the gift.”
Donations from non-U.S. citizens require further review.
Although unusual, the Pentagon sometimes accepts gifts from donors, but these must normally be intended to fund specific projects, such as a school, hospital, library, museum or cemetery.
Critics have questioned why the U.S. military would accept anonymous funds.
“The use of anonymous donations to fund our military raises troubling questions: Are our own troops at risk of being literally bought and paid for by foreign powers,” said Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
