President Donald Trump has reportedly given a substantial cash gift to three members of his White House staff. The payments were disclosed in financial forms recently made public by the administration. The reported gifts have since drawn scrutiny over whether such payments are permitted under federal rules.
Donald Trump reportedly gave money to Natalie Harp and two aides as gifts
Donald Trump reportedly gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp and two other White House employees. The Washington Post reported that Harp, Margo Martin and Chamberlain Harris each received the same amount. According to financial disclosures released by the administration, the payments were described on their forms as “Cash Gift for Holidays.” The reported gifts came in addition to their $150,000 annual salaries as White House employees.
The three recipients hold different positions within Trump’s administration. Martin, 31, works as a communications adviser and frequently records Trump’s activities for social media. Harris, 26, serves as a White House aide and Executive Assistant to the President. Trump appointed Harris to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in February, where she has a role connected to oversight of projects including the White House ballroom and other construction work in the Washington area.
The size and nature of the payments have drawn scrutiny because of federal restrictions concerning compensation received by government employees. Richard Painter, who previously served as the chief White House ethics lawyer, said the gifts appear to violate a federal statute that prohibits federal employees from having their government salaries supplemented through outside payments.
The White House has rejected the criticism. Spokesperson Davis Ingle stated, “The President has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides, both in government and in his time in the private sector. The gifts at issue here have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties, and therefore are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards.”