MS NOW host Jen Psaki on Tuesday highlighted a report from The New York Times detailing allegations concerning former Justice Department adviser Alina Habba. The report states Habba was guaranteed more than $50 million over four years to help Venezuelan billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini secure a presidential pardon. Habba has denied any role in securing the pardon.
According to The Times, Habba was still an adviser at the Trump Justice Department when Velutini sought a pardon from then-President Donald Trump for U.S. bribery charges. These charges had previously been reduced in a 2025 plea deal to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation.
The report further details that Velutini's daughter formed a firm, Concord Partners, in October 2025. Habba began working as general counsel for this firm on January 1st, with her employment agreement guaranteeing her over $50 million. Weeks later, Trump granted Velutini a full pardon.
Psaki described the sequence of events as "crazy insane." To discuss the report, Psaki featured former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer. Oyer commented that "literally everything in this administration is for sale, including the actual people who work for the president."
Oyer also pointed out the significance of Velutini being charged with bribing a government official to halt an investigation into his bank, and then subsequently seeking to bribe another official to escape consequences for the initial bribe. She characterized this as a "vicious cycle of lawlessness."