President Donald Trump has sharply rebuked his former attorney Alina Habba Mildon over what he branded an unacceptable $50 million arrangement with a Venezuelan billionaire family, insisting she should divert part of the windfall to a Trump-aligned institution.
According to the New York Times, Trump has privately complained that Habbas lucrative contract with the family of Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini was secured by trading on her proximity to him, and has told at least one confidant that the Herrera family shouldnt pay Habba the rest of her contract. The episode underscores the presidents insistence on loyalty and propriety within his orbit, even as he continues to face relentless legal and political attacks from the left and from entrenched establishment interests.
Trump, speaking to Fox News on Saturday during the Mar-a-Lago Halloween party, did not mince words about Habba, 42, taking on the role of general counsel for Concord Partners, a company founded by Herrera Velutinis daughter. I thought it was terrible, he said, adding that he was angered by the size of the payout and the way it was obtained.
I said I don't want her paid. We had somebody speak to the people that did it and she used her relationship to do that and it was far too much, Trump told the network, making clear he believed Habba had leveraged her association with him for personal gain. You know, it's one thing for a person to get paid legal fees or whatever - she's a lawyer. I thought it was totally obnoxious and outrageous and it's not acceptable, not acceptable at all.
It's unacceptable what she did, Trump reiterated, signaling that he views the arrangement as crossing a line, even in a political and legal environment where high-priced counsel and influence are commonplace. Aides and allies told the Times that Trump has gone further in private, saying Habba should donate a portion of the deal money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related entity.
Habba signed the four-year agreement with Concord Partners last year and formally began in the position on January 1, placing her at the center of a complex web of international business and politics. Around the time she joined the firm, Julio Herrera Velutini was facing bribery charges tied to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation and later received a pardon in January 2026, the Times reported.
The former Trump attorney has also drawn attention for her personal life, particularly her whirlwind marriage to Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon in September at a lavish New York City ceremony. Their nuptials sparked gossip in political and social circles after rumors emerged that Habba is 17 years older than her new husband, whose age was said to be just 25, according to sources cited in the reporting.
The Times spoke with former classmates of Mildon who said he was 25, and the paper obtained copies of his U.S. visa and the photo page of his Turkish passport, both listing his date of birth as December 2, 2000. The reason for the age discrepancy remains unclear, and the Daily Mail reported that it had contacted Mildons firm, Miller Holding, as well as Habba, for comment.
Mildon, whose grandfather was a prominent Turkish energy magnate, has himself become a source of friction in Trump-world over a disputed multimillion-dollar donation to the Kennedy Center. Habba has accused former Kennedy Center chief and Trump ally Ric Grenell of failing to pass along $5.6 million that Mildon claims he donated to the Washington, D.C., arts institution, a charge Grenell flatly rejects.
Grenells denial has been emphatic, and the White House is still examining the matter, the Daily Mail reported earlier this month. It is not clear when or how Mildon first met Habba, but the pair were first seen together publicly in April, when the White House Correspondents Dinner was abruptly cut short due to an active shooter incident.
Since then, Mildon has been a regular presence at White House events alongside Habba, culminating in their September wedding at Manhattans newly reopened Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The ceremony marked Habbas third marriage, and at the time it was reported to be Mildons second, following a 2021 union into the family of a prominent Turkish magnate that ended in 2024.
However, the Times reported that several of Mildons former confidants said he also had a legally non-binding religious marriage last year to Mara Ceballos, daughter of Venezuelan military commander Adm. Remigio Ceballos. That relationship, which predated his involvement with Habba, reportedly coincided with Mildons efforts to secure business deals in Venezuela.
A spokesperson for Mildon told the Times that he and Ceballos only held an engagement ceremony, though Ceballos is said to have told friends she was his wife. Under Turkish law, religious marriages are not legally binding, so Mildons assertion that he was merely engaged may be technically accurate even if his former partner believed they were married.
Mildon has also cultivated an image as a high-flying billionaire, previously telling Forbes Turkey that his companies revenues exceeded $2.6 billion in 2025. His business interests reportedly stretch from Venezuela to the Congo, placing him at the intersection of emerging markets, energy, and geopolitics.
It was through Habba that Mildon entered Trumps orbit, and the ongoing dispute over the alleged Kennedy Center donation has reportedly caused the president considerable frustration. After Habba laid out her claims about the supposedly missing $5.6 million, Trump is said to have turned to White House counsel Will Scharf and instructed him, Take this seriously, figure it out, and come back to me ASAP.
Grenell, a staunch conservative and former ambassador who has long been targeted by progressives for his unapologetic stance on national security and cultural issues, denied Habbas allegations in a subsequent phone call with Trump. He again rejected the donation claim in a statement to the Daily Mail, saying, It's absurd. I've never asked for one cent to be sent somewhere else pretending it was for the Kennedy Center and I've never received any payment from him at all, Grenell said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
Make [Mildon] give proof to what he is claiming he gave, Grenell added, challenging Mildon to substantiate his story with documentation. For conservatives, the episode highlights the importance of transparency and accountability even among wealthy donors and high-profile attorneys, particularly when their actions risk entangling the president in unnecessary controversy.
Trumps anger at Habbas $50 million deal and his insistence that she redirect some of the funds to a Trump-related cause reflect a broader concern about individuals capitalizing on his name and influence without regard for ethical boundaries. As investigations continue into Mildons business dealings, his disputed donation, and Habbas role in brokering relationships with foreign elites, the presidents demand that It's unacceptable what she did will likely resonate with supporters who expect those in his inner circle to uphold higher standards than the political class he has long criticized.
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