President Trump Blasts Alina Habba Over $50 Million Deal With Family of Pardoned Venezuelan Banker

President Trump has publicly condemned a lucrative business arrangement involving his former personal attorney Alina Habba, calling her reported $50 million contract with the family of a Venezuelan billionaire banker outrageous and unacceptable.

Speaking to reporters Saturday evening at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump expressed frustration over the agreement, which reportedly guaranteed Habba more than $50 million over four years while she maintained ties to the Justice Department.

The president made clear that he disapproved of the arrangement, particularly the enormous compensation involved and the circumstances surrounding the contract.

“I thought it was terrible,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had personally objected to Habba receiving the money.

The controversy centers on Julio Herrera Velutini, a wealthy Venezuelan banker who previously faced federal bribery charges in connection with an alleged effort to influence Puerto Rico’s government. Herrera ultimately reached a plea agreement involving a misdemeanor campaign finance violation before receiving a presidential pardon.

According to reporting by The New York Times, Herrera’s family offered Habba a position as general counsel for Concord Partners, a company established by his daughter, Isabela Herrera, in October 2025.

The agreement reportedly provided Habba with a base salary of $10 million annually, along with bonuses that pushed the guaranteed compensation above $50 million over four years.

The contract attracted particular scrutiny because Habba finalized the arrangement while serving as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a position President Trump had appointed her to after she represented him in several high-profile legal disputes.

Habba subsequently left the prosecutor’s office in December 2025 after federal judges determined that her appointment did not comply with applicable legal requirements.

She then became a senior adviser to the attorney general, maintaining a position within the Justice Department as she prepared to begin working for Concord Partners.

According to the reported contract, Habba officially began her private employment on January 1, 2026.

Two weeks later, on January 15, President Trump granted Herrera a full presidential pardon, eliminating the remaining consequences of his federal conviction.

The timing of those developments has prompted questions about the relationship between Habba’s employment agreement and the banker’s successful request for clemency.

However, no evidence has been publicly established demonstrating that Habba secured the pardon in exchange for compensation.

Habba has strongly denied participating in any effort to obtain clemency for Herrera or receiving payment connected to the president’s decision.

She maintains that her outside employment was properly disclosed to the Justice Department and reviewed through the appropriate channels.

The White House has also denied any connection between Habba’s business arrangement and Herrera’s pardon.

President Trump’s remarks Saturday demonstrated that he was dissatisfied with the deal despite those denials.

The president distinguished between legitimate legal compensation and the extraordinary sums involved in Habba’s agreement, arguing that the arrangement went far beyond what he considered appropriate.

He said he had communicated his objections and indicated that others had contacted individuals involved in the agreement.

Trump also suggested that Habba’s relationship with him had contributed to her ability to secure such a substantial contract.

The president’s criticism follows reporting that he reacted angrily upon learning the details of the arrangement.

According to The New York Times, Trump told aides and associates that some of the money should instead benefit his future presidential library or another organization associated with him.

He also reportedly suggested that the Herrera family should stop making payments under the contract.

During Saturday’s remarks, however, Trump did not explicitly demand that Habba return money she had already received.

The president’s public rebuke represents a significant development in his relationship with an attorney who previously served as one of his most visible legal defenders.

Habba rose to national prominence while representing Trump in civil litigation and frequently appeared on television defending him against investigations and lawsuits.

Following his return to the White House in January 2025, she briefly served as counselor to the president before being appointed to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.

Her appointment eventually became the subject of a legal dispute over the administration’s authority to keep her in the position.

After leaving that office, Habba maintained connections to senior administration officials while pursuing opportunities outside government.

The newly disclosed agreement with Concord Partners has renewed questions about potential conflicts of interest involving former government officials and private clients seeking federal action.

Federal ethics rules restrict certain outside financial arrangements and activities by government employees, although the precise requirements depend on an individual’s position, responsibilities and employment status.

Habba has maintained that her arrangement complied with the rules applicable to her government service.

The Justice Department has not publicly announced that she violated federal ethics laws or committed any criminal offense in connection with the contract.

The underlying criminal case involving Herrera dates to allegations that he participated in an effort to influence former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced.

Federal prosecutors originally accused Herrera and others of participating in a bribery scheme involving a banking regulator who had been investigating his financial institution.

Herrera denied the original felony allegations and ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor campaign finance offense in August 2025.

Trump later pardoned Herrera, Vázquez and another individual connected to the case.

Presidential pardons are an established constitutional power, and the president is not required to provide a public explanation for every clemency decision.

Nevertheless, the combination of the pardon and Habba’s unusually large compensation package has generated questions about whether politically connected individuals benefited financially from their relationships with the administration.

Habba’s representatives and the White House have rejected suggestions that her employment influenced the clemency process.

The controversy also comes amid a separate dispute involving Habba’s husband, Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, and former Kennedy Center executive Richard Grenell.

That disagreement involves a reported $17.6 million financial transfer connected to a defense technology company and allegations concerning money intended for the Kennedy Center.

Habba reportedly raised concerns about the transaction during an October meeting at the White House, prompting Trump to refer the matter to White House Counsel Will Scharf.

Grenell has denied wrongdoing, and the circumstances surrounding the disputed funds remain contested.

The two controversies have placed additional attention on Habba’s financial and professional relationships following her departure from the federal prosecutor’s office.

For President Trump, the latest dispute has produced an unusually direct public criticism of someone who previously occupied a prominent position within his legal and political circle.

His remarks indicate that he considers the size and circumstances of the contract unacceptable, even as Habba continues to deny any connection between her compensation and the presidential pardon.

The central questions now concern the nature of Habba’s work for Concord Partners, the applicable government ethics requirements and whether additional information will emerge about the circumstances surrounding Herrera’s clemency request.

No criminal charges or formal ethics findings against Habba have been announced in connection with the agreement.

For now, President Trump’s public condemnation has intensified scrutiny of the reported $50 million contract and the financial arrangements involving a former senior member of his administration.