Melania Trump received compensation for an uncommon appearance at a political function. The identity of the party who issued the distinctively high-valued check remains undisclosed.
The previous first lady conveyed her thoughts at two political events organized by the Log Cabin Republicans this year, receiving a compensation of $237,500 for the April event, as per Donald Trump's most recent financial disclosure report. The payment was categorized as a "speaking engagement."
Trump's recent disclosure report indicated that the Log Cabin Republicans made the payment for the April event to Melania Trump. However, the identity of the individual who signed the check remains a mystery. Charles Moran, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans, stated to CNN earlier this month that his organization did not finance her appearance, and the disclosure report provided no additional information about the payment's source.
Ahead of the July event organized by the Log Cabin Republicans, a reliable source stated that a request for similar compensation was made to a donor. However, it remains uncertain whether Melania Trump ultimately received payment. The campaign has yet to release the financial disclosure report for that period. According to the source, Ric Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany and a close ally of Trump, was the one who petitioned for Melania Trump's compensation on her behalf. Sources alleged that Grenell also aided Melania Trump in other business endeavors.
Experts in campaign finance and government ethics expressed concern about the payment to a presidential candidate's spouse to appear at political fundraisers during an election. They argued that such a practice is uncommon, ethically questionable, and should at least be properly specified in the disclosure reports.
Virginia Canter, the chief ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, stated, "It seems quite self-serving. In my personal observation, I'm not accustomed to observing such occurrences." She added that, if the organization did not actually make the payment to Melania Trump, Trump's financial disclosure report could be in violation of ethics rules because it should have disclosed the event's sponsor instead of merely specifying where she spoke.
Supporters of Melania Trump who attended the Log Cabin Republican events but were unaware of her compensation defended her, asserting that it was her right to decide how to utilize her time and to accept payment for her services. One individual close to Melania Trump stated, "She's decided that her 'best and highest use' is where she is," adding, "She's a priceless, timeless asset."
Melania Trump's spokesperson declined to comment in response to CNN's inquiries.
Records indicate that Melania Trump was compensated $250,000 for a Log Cabin Republican event in December 2022, making it one of three payments of $250,000 or more she received that month, following the former president's announcement of his plans to seek reelection. One of the events took place in Florida, while the other was for Californians for Fix California, an organization founded by Grenell. Grenell did not respond to multiple request for comment.
Melania Trump has a history of participating in Log Cabin Republican events. In 2021, she was the guest of honor at the group's annual Spirit of Lincoln Gala.
Melania Trump's appearances at political fundraisers have been infrequent this year. In addition to the two Log Cabin Republican events, she appeared alongside her husband at a fundraiser hosted by billionaire investor John Paulson in Palm Beach and made a brief appearance at the Republican National Convention, though she did not speak as she did in 2016. There is no indication that she was compensated for the appearance at Paulson's fundraiser.
Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary and top aide to Melania Trump, who has since become a critic of the former president, speculated that Melania Trump might have agreed to accept compensation for her time due to her perceived disconnect from the campaign and her absence. Grisham added, "Even when we were in the White House, she was always so concerned about individuals making money off of her because she felt it was money she should be earning."
Grisham disclosed that, in 2018, Melania Trump instructed her staff to halt the sale of Melania Trump memorabilia, such as bobbleheads, by a gift shop near the White House without permission. Grisham remarked, "She was enraged. She did not appreciate it when they profited from her."
Donald Trump's financial disclosures revealed that Melania Trump acquired more than $330,000 in the previous year through a licensing agreement for the sale of digital trading cards, or NFTs. Her website offers jewelry and other collectibles for purchase.
In addition, Melania Trump will release a memoir next month and embark on a promotional tour. She has made uncommon remarks about her husband's attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, the 2020 election results, and her history as a nude model in a series of short promotional videos.
"I can't help but wonder why law enforcement officials did not apprehend the shooter before the speech?" she stated in one of the videos, referencing the gunman who assaulted and injured Trump at a rally on July 13 before being subdued by the Secret Service.
It's not just Melania Trump who's made some coin while basking in political limelight. Kimberly Guilfoyle pocketed a cool $60,000 for introducing her beau, Junior Trump, at the "Stop the Steal" gathering on January 6, 2021. This was right before the Capitol uprising. Her speech lasted less than 3 minutes.
Remuneration for speaking engagements outside political fundraisers for ex-officials is not uncommon.
Former commander-in-chief Bill Clinton and his lady, Hillary, bagged more than $153 million from paid speeches between 2001 and when the ex-secretary of state kicked off her 2016 presidential campaign. Obama, a former POTUS, reportedly banked $400,000 from a single Wall Street health conference talk in 2017, which faced flak from his party associates. In the two years he was out of vice presidency and before his presidential bid, Joe and his missus Jill managed to earn a combined $15.6 million, majorly from books and speaking events.
However, representatives for Jill, Michelle, Hillary, Laura, and Bill claimed they didn't snag any moolah from political fundraisers during their political campaigns.
Hunter Biden's art sales at a Manhattan gallery last spring, priced at $85,000 a piece, drew scrutiny while his father was campaigning for reelection.
According to reports, Log Cabin Republican events this year went smoothly. Grenell shared on X that the former first lady hosted a NYC Penthouse gathering in July, helping the group raise $1.4 million.
"It's the first political event ever held at the Trump residence," Grenell wrote. "Our goal is to secure 50% of the gay vote for Donald Trump."
At the Mar-a-Lago event in April where Melania spoke, the organization declared their "Road to Victory" program, targeting voters in crucial states, as per Politico.
Fredreka Schouten from CNN contributed to this report.
The concerns over Melania Trump's compensation for speaking at Log Cabin Republican events, as revealed in financial disclosure reports, have sparked debates among experts in campaign finance and government ethics. They argue that such payments to a presidential candidate's spouse for political fundraisers during an election is uncommon and ethically questionable.
Charles Moran, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans, stated earlier this month that his organization did not finance Melania Trump's appearance at their events, but the disclosure reports did not provide any information about the payment's source.
