Melania Trump has maintained a low profile throughout Donald Trump’s recent presidential campaign. Unlike previous elections, she has notably distanced herself from campaign rallies and events, rarely appearing alongside her husband. It is even rumoured that the former First Lady has made a deal with her husband to not be a full-time First Lady if he wins the election again.
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So far, her name only made headlines during Stormy Daniels hush money case and for her upcoming memoir, Melania. However, a recent report of a substantial $237,500 payment has put her back in the spotlight. This mysterious payment has raised questions and added a layer of intrigue to her rare public appearances.
Melania Trump and the mysterious payment of $237,500
According to Trump’s latest financial disclosure, Melania was paid $237,500 for a political event she attended this year. Trump's financial records revealed that Melania was compensated for a speech she gave at a Log Cabin Republicans fundraiser, reports The Independent. The payment was listed as a ‘speaking engagement’ on the disclosure form with no additional details.
This event, held at Mar-a-Lago on April 20, 2024, was one of the few political occasions that Melania chose to participate in. The Log Cabin Republicans is the largest organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies, and had invited her as a keynote speaker.
However, the origins of her payment remain unclear. Despite Melania's role at the event, the Log Cabin Republicans publicly stated that they did not finance the payment for her appearance. Charles Moran, the managing director of Log Cabin Republicans told CNN that the organization made no such transaction.
According to some reports, this wasn't Melania’s first substantial compensation for political events. She previously received $250,000 for a similar Log Cabin Republican event in December 2022, reports CNN.
Melania Trump’s mysterious payment analyzed
The lack of transparency of the $237,500 paid to Melania has prompted concerns, with many questioning whether proper campaign finance rules were followed. Campaign finance experts have voiced concerns about the mysterious payment and the lack of clarity surrounding its source.
Virginia Canter, the chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, pointed out that the disclosure of this transaction was incomplete. She added that it’s ‘unusual’ for spouses of presidential candidates to get paid for appearing at political fundraisers during elections. She said:
It seems pretty self-serving. From my own general observation, I’m not used to seeing that.
Virginia insisted that the mysterious payment was ethically questionable. She argued that the disclosure form should have listed the sponsor who paid it and explained:
You could indicate that payment was for a speaking engagement for the Log Cabin Republicans, but you also need to report who the source of the payment was, otherwise, you can’t assess for the conflicts of interest, and it wouldn’t be in compliance with the rules.
It should have properly been reported so that the source of the income is listed for the honorarium.
Stephanie Grisham comes to her defence
Meanwhile, some insiders who know and have worked with Melania have defended her in the matter. For instance, former Trump aide Stephanie Grisham has defended Melania’s actions, highlighting that she has always been protective of her brand and image and disliked when people made money off of her. She said:
She’s been so disconnected with this campaign and so absent that I could see her saying, ‘If I’m going to put my time in, I will get paid for this.’
Even when we were in the White House, she was always so concerned about people making money off of her because she felt it was money she should be earning.
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Sources Used:
The Independent: Melania Trump made a rare appearance on the campaign trail - for a mysterious $237k
CNN: Melania Trump was paid for a rare appearance at a political event. It’s not clear who cut the unusual six-figure check
