Pentagon to use $130 million anonymous donation to pay military salaries amid shutdown
The Pentagon has confirmed that the Trump administration plans to use a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump to cover the salaries of US military personnel during the ongoing government shutdown.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the donation was made with the condition that it be used specifically to pay service members’ salaries and benefits.
The funds were accepted under the Department of Defense’s general gift acceptance authority, he added.
The decision marks a rare departure from traditional procedures for military funding, which are typically handled through congressional appropriations.
Officials from both parties in Congress said they are seeking additional details from the administration about the donation, but so far, no formal explanation has been provided.
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the legality of the move… A spokesperson for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said Durbin has requested clarification on how the donation complies with the Deficit Control Act, which restricts federal agencies from spending beyond appropriated funds.
“The Deficit Control Act explicitly states that private donations may not be used to offset any lapse in appropriations,” said Bill Hoagland, a former Senate Republican budget aide now serving as senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
“They can accept it, but they can’t use it for that purpose because the law is very clear,” he told CNN.
Trump announced the donation on Thursday, describing it as a contribution from a friend of mine to help cover military shortfalls.
He declined to identify the donor, saying the individual “doesn’t really want to announce himself”.
Questions about the donor’s identity and potential foreign ties were redirected between the White House, Pentagon, and Treasury Department, with no agency providing further comment.
The Pentagon confirmed the contribution was anonymous but did not indicate whether Congress would be briefed on how the funds will be used.
