Donald Trump Condemns Alina Habba's $50M Deal With Herrera Family, Saying He Personally Did Not Want Her Paid

US President Donald Trump has criticised a reported $50 million (£38 million) agreement involving his former personal lawyer Alina Habba Mildon and the family of a Venezuelan banker he later pardoned.

Speaking at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Trump called the arrangement 'totally obnoxious and outrageous' and 'not acceptable.'

'I told her I don't want her paid,' Trump said, according to Reuters. He also called the situation 'terrible.'

The agreement reportedly guaranteed Habba Mildon more than $50 million (£38 million) over four years, including $10 million (£7.6 million) annually plus bonuses, The New York Times reported.

The contract was with Concord Partners, a Florida company established by Isabela Herrera, daughter of banker Julio Herrera Velutini. Habba Mildon became its general counsel.

The New York Times said the company's business activities were unclear, including to some people associated with the Herrera family's business empire at the time.

Timeline of the Reported Agreement

The New York Times reported that Habba Mildon finalised the agreement in October 2025, while acting US attorney for New Jersey. Concord Partners had been registered days earlier.

She left the post in December 2025 after a federal appeals court questioned the legality of her appointment. She became senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi that day, Reuters reported.

Habba Mildon began at Concord Partners on 1 January 2026, while still a Justice Department adviser. Trump granted Herrera Velutini a full pardon on 15 January, according to the Justice Department.

Herrera Velutini had faced federal bribery charges linked to an alleged scheme involving former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced. Prosecutors said the alleged plan involved bribing Vázquez to remove a financial regulator investigating Herrera's bank.

In August 2025, Herrera Velutini pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour campaign-finance offence under a deal with prosecutors. Vázquez and a former FBI agent who had worked as a consultant for Herrera also pleaded guilty to misdemeanour offences. Trump later pardoned all three.

The timing prompted questions about possible conflicts of interest. The overlap between the two roles has drawn considerable scrutiny.

People familiar with her contract told The New York Times they believed the family hired her to assist with Herrera Velutini's effort to obtain clemency. That belief does not establish that Habba Mildon lobbied for a pardon or influenced the president's decision.

Habba Mildon Denies Pardon Role

Habba Mildon rejected suggestions that her employment was connected to the pardon. In a statement to The New York Times, she said: 'Any insinuation that my employment — all of which has been vetted and disclosed to the DOJ — had anything to do with securing a pardon is false.'

She also said online that she was never paid to secure a pardon, never discussed one with White House or Justice Department officials, and did no work 'in any capacity whatsoever' to obtain one.

A White House official told The New York Times that Habba Mildon had no role in the pardon process. The official said the administration follows a review process involving the White House counsel's office and the Justice Department.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Reuters. The Herrera family and its companies did not respond to The New York Times' requests for comment. Trump's criticism publicly rebukes his former lawyer and adds to scrutiny of the contract and pardon.