A new expenditure filing has revealed that a super PAC that was aligned with former President Donald Trump made a $155,000 payment to former first lady Melania Trump in December 2021.
According to the filing (as first reported by the New York Times), the money came from Make America Great Again, Again, and was intended for a December 2021 “speaking engagement.”
As noted by The Hill, the timing of the payment “aligns with that of a fundraiser the former president held” at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
This is the latest example of how the twice-impeached former president and his inner circle have raised ethical questions as to whether his family benefited financially from his time in office.
Expenditure Filing Reveals How Melania Trump Earned Staggering $155K From Super PAC
The Times pointed out that the super PAC’s initial federal filings never disclosed that this payment was made to the former first lady. Instead, the group listed the expenses as part of the "Designer’s Management Agency," which has Melania Trump as a client.
Since the launch of Donald Trump's 2024 campaign last November, Melania has been notably absent from the public sphere. When asked for a statement regarding the payment to the ex-President's wife, the Trump campaign declined to provide one, as reported by The Hill.
Following Donald Trump's tenure as President, the Make America Great Again, Again super PAC was set up as a primary supporter. However, after disbanding in 2022, the PAC transferred nearly $10 million to Make America Great Again Inc., the leading super PAC now linked to his campaign for the 2024 election.
In the wake of the 2020 election, Save America, a political committee, was founded and paid Melania Trump's stylist thousands of dollars in 2022.
This organization was established for those who contributed in support of Donald Trump's false allegations of election irregularity, all of which were disproven by the judicial system.
Questions concerning the morality of Donald Trump and whether his family was monetarily advantaged from his stint as President or his political system have lingered for quite some time.
During his time in office, the ex-President frequently paid visits to his personal properties and, in the past few years, he and other Republican hopefuls have regularly convened for fundraisers at his Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster properties.
