Trump Attacks Former Lawyer Over $50 Million Deal Signed During Federal Tenure

Donald Trump is openly attacking Alina Habba Mildon, one of his former lawyers, over a massive financial arrangement with the family of a Venezuelan banker he recently pardoned. The deal, reportedly worth more than $50 million, was signed while Habba Mildon still held a federal position. This timeline raises serious eyebrows regarding ethical boundaries and potential conflicts of interest within the Justice Department.

Habba Mildon reportedly inked a four-year contract in October 2025 with Concord Partners, a company owned by the family of Julio Herrera Velutini. At the time, she served as the acting US attorney for New Jersey, a role Trump appointed her to after she worked as his personal lawyer. The contract promised her an annual salary of $10 million plus bonuses, totaling over $50 million across four years.

The situation grew more complicated when she left that legal post in December after a court ruled she could not legally serve in it. She immediately jumped to another slot at the Justice Department, becoming a senior adviser to the attorney general. Then, on January 1, she officially started working for Herrera’s family. She was still employed by the Justice Department at that moment.

Two weeks later, on January 15, Trump granted Herrera a full presidential pardon. The timing is hard to ignore. Herrera had been accused of bribing former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez Garced to remove a financial regulator investigating his bank. He faced federal bribery charges before reaching a plea deal with prosecutors in August 2025.

Trump called the arrangement "totally obnoxious and outrageous" when speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Saturday. He added that it is "not acceptable at all." Reports suggest he was furious upon learning the size of the contract. The New York Times noted that he told aides and allies Habba Mildon should donate some of the money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related organization. He also reportedly told at least one ally that Herrera’s family should stop paying her the remainder of the contract.

Habba Mildon has denied any role in securing the pardon. Last week, she stated she had never been paid to obtain a pardon, never discussed one with anyone at the White House or the Justice Department, and never worked to secure a pardon for anyone. Concord Partners has no public profile, and its business activities remain unclear according to The New York Times.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The core issue remains the overlap between her government duties and her private earnings. A federal prosecutor signing a $50 million deal with the family of a defendant seeking clemency, while still advising the attorney general, creates a murky picture. Whether or not she influenced the pardon directly, the optics are damaging. Public trust in the impartiality of the justice system relies on clear boundaries between public service and private gain. Blurring those lines undermines the very institution meant to enforce the law.