Trump Slams Ex-Attorney Habba Over $50 Million Deal
Former President Donald Trump expressed strong disapproval of his ex-attorney Alina Habba's $50 million deal with a Venezuelan family, calling it 'obnoxious' and 'unacceptable.'
Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized his former attorney, Alina Habba, for accepting a lucrative $50 million deal with a Venezuelan family without his knowledge or consent. Trump described the arrangement as "totally obnoxious and outrageous" and stated it was "not acceptable at all."
According to reports, Trump conveyed to at least one ally that the Herrera family, for whom Habba began working as general counsel on January 1 for a four-year term, should not pay her the remainder of the contract. Sources also indicated that Trump suggested Habba should donate a portion of the funds to his future presidential library or another Trump-affiliated entity.
Trump voiced his displeasure on Saturday at a Halloween party at Mar-A-Lago, telling Fox News that he did not want Habba to be paid. He stated that an intermediary spoke with the parties involved and that Habba had leveraged her relationship to secure the deal, which he felt was excessively large.
The situation has drawn attention amid other recent events involving Habba and her husband, Turkish billionaire Turhan Mildon. Habba married Mildon in September, with reports circulating that he is 17 years her junior, though details about his age have varied. Mildon's firm has also been involved in a dispute concerning a significant donation to the Kennedy Center, an issue that reportedly caused Trump considerable stress.
Habba had accused former Kennedy Center official Ric Grenell of not forwarding a $5.6 million donation from Mildon to the arts venue. Grenell has denied these allegations, and an investigation is reportedly underway. Trump had instructed White House counsel Will Scharf to investigate the matter.
Grenell, in a statement to the Daily Mail, refuted Habba's claims, calling them "absurd" and stating he had never received any payment from Mildon or asked for funds to be rerouted. He challenged Mildon to provide proof of his claimed donation.
Mildon, whose family has business interests in Venezuela and the Congo, has presented himself as a billionaire. Habba entered Trump's orbit through her legal work for him. The dispute over the Kennedy Center donation became a point of contention, with Trump urging his team to investigate it promptly.