Trump ‘friend’ donates $130m to help fund US military during shutdown
An anonymous donor giving $130 million (£100 million) to the Pentagon to help pay US troops during the government shutdown has sparked ethical concerns.
US defense officials confirmed the gift, which President Donald Trump said would make up for shortfalls in payments to the country’s 1.32 million troops, but declined to identify the donor.
But Trump dropped a few hints on Saturday, saying he is “a big supporter of mine” and a U.S. citizen.
The government shut down more than three weeks ago after lawmakers failed to approve the funding deal. The Trump administration allocated $8 billion from military research last week to pay soldiers, but it’s unclear what will happen at the next payday at the end of the month.
The shutdown, now in its 25th day, is poised to be one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history.
“The donation was made on the condition that it offset the cost of soldiers’ pay and benefits,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters Friday. he said, adding that the money was allowed under the ministry’s “general gift acceptance authority”.
Trump previewed the donation on Thursday but refused to identify the donor, saying he “really didn’t want to be identified.”
Before departing for Asia on Saturday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the donor was “a great gentleman,” “a boss,” a “patriot” and a “great guy” who “doesn’t want publicity.”
“He prefers not to be named, which is very unusual in the world I come from,” Trump said. “You want your name to be mentioned in the political world.”
“He put in $130 million to make sure the military is paid — that’s a lot of money — and he’s a big supporter of mine,” he continued.
The funding amount is around $100 per soldier.
While the White House was able to reallocate defense funds to pay troops last week, we don’t yet know what will happen on Oct. 31, the military’s next payday. Congress failed to pass a bill to pay soldiers’ salaries during the shutdown.
Many government workers have been furloughed or, in some cases, told to work without pay for as long as the shutdown continues.
Under Defense Department rules, donations over $10,000 must be reviewed by ethics officers “to determine whether the donor is involved in any allegations, purchases, litigation, or other specific matters involving the department that should be considered prior to accepting a gift.”
Donations from non-American citizens require additional scrutiny.
Although unusual, the Pentagon sometimes accepts gifts from donors, but normally they must be given to fund specific projects, such as a school, hospital, library, museum or cemetery.
Critics have questioned why the U.S. military accepts anonymous funds.
“Using anonymous donations to fund our military raises troubling questions about whether our own troops are 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.
