President Donald Trump gave cash gifts of $45,000 apiece to three close White House aides last Christmas, according to financial disclosure forms released by the administration. The payments, which were officially described in the filings as a cash gift for the holidays,
went to executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and Chamberlain Harris, who serves as deputy director of Oval Office operations and executive assistant.
President Trump Gives $45,000 Holiday Cash Gifts to Three White House Aides
The total amount of $135,000 in gifts comes in addition to each aide’s taxpayer-funded annual salary of $150,000. The holiday payments amount to approximately 30% of each recipient’s yearly White House salary. In addition to the three female aides, Trump also gave $20,000 to Walt Nauta, the director of Oval Office operations, according to the documents.
White House Defense and Ethics Questions
The disclosures prompted a defense from the administration regarding the legality and intent of the payouts. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle maintained that the payments were intended as Christmas presents and noted that the president has a history of giving gifts to individuals in his orbit across both government and 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,
a White House statement said according to published financial disclosure statements.
However, the payments drew scrutiny from ethics experts. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter suggested the gifts might be illegal, while Don Fox, an acting director of the Office of Government Ethics during the Obama administration, stated that it was unclear if any law was broken while expressing personal discomfort with the size of the gifts. According to reports, experts could not cite any prior instance of federal government subordinates receiving payments of such a high amount from a president.
Profiles of the Aides Receiving the Disclosures
The recipients hold prominent roles within the administration:
- Natalie Harp: Serving as a special assistant and executive assistant to the president, Harp is often referred to as the “human printer” because she frequently types out the president’s Truth Social posts as he dictates them and shows him positive news stories and internet searches. Her profile has risen alongside close scrutiny from lawmakers, including a recent mention by Sen. Jon Ossoff during a speech referencing her travel with Trump.
- Margo Martin: Martin works as a communications adviser, frequently traveling with the president and recording videos of him, such as footage of him greeting visitors in the Oval Office.
- Chamberlain Harris: Harris serves as deputy director of Oval Office operations and an executive assistant. Trump also appointed her to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees construction of the White House ballroom—an appointment that has faced criticism from historical preservation advocates.
Meanwhile, Walt Nauta—who received a separate $20,000 holiday gift from the president—previously faced charges in the federal indictment over the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago before that case was dropped, as detailed in documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Related reading
- Rising Costs Threaten Quebec’s $800k Elderly Care Homes
- NYC Cream Cheese Recalled Over Listeria Risk
- South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone Roast Trump at 2023 Emmys: A Trolling Masterclass | Trump Trolled, Emmys Awards, South Park, Donald Trump, Trump Roasted. (archyworldys.com)
- Why Walking Pneumonia Surges Every Three to Seven Years (daybreakwire.com)