Trump gave White House aides $45,000 each
In the United States, President Donald Trump gave cash Christmas gifts to several of his closest White House aides. As YLE News reports, presidential aide Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Chamberlain Harris each received $45,000.
Payments to White House employees
The annual salary of each of the three employees is $150,000, so the gift amount is nearly one-third of their annual pay.
Director of Oval Office Operations Walt Nauta also received $20,000 from the president. His annual salary is $175,000. The Washington Post was the first to report the cash gifts.
Natalie Harp, who is 35, is described as Trump's closest aide: according to a source, she spends more time with the president than his other aides. Walt Nauta is also part of the president's long-standing close circle.
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Ethical questions
The payments sparked discussion about federal ethics rules. Richard Painter, the former chief ethics lawyer in the administration of President George W. Bush, believes the gifts may conflict with federal law. In his assessment, the law prohibits supplementing the salaries of civil servants with funds from outside sources.
According to The Washington Post, US history has no known similar cases in which a president gave White House employees such significant sums of money. The White House denied any violation of the rules. Spokesperson Davis Ingle said that Trump has long given Christmas gifts to people in his close circle, including employees and aides, and that these payments are unrelated to their official duties.
In 2023, Nauta was charged, including with conspiracy, over suspicions that he helped Trump conceal classified documents from FBI investigators. In 2024, those charges were dropped.
