According to Mediate, the latest Federal Election Commission disclosures have revealed some eye-opening spending by Save America PAC, the leadership PAC supporting former President Donald Trump’s campaign. Despite facing significant legal fees for various indictments and legal entanglements, the PAC has continued to spend tens of millions of dollars on Trump’s legal defense. However, one particular payment raised eyebrows in the reports.
Save America PAC paid over $108,000 for “strategy consulting” to Hervé Pierre Braillard during the first six months of 2023. This payment might seem ordinary for a presidential campaign, but what’s surprising is that Hervé Pierre Braillard is not a political consultant at all. He is a French-American fashion designer, known for his eponymous label, Hervé Pierre, and has also been Melania Trump’s stylist for years. He famously designed the gown she wore to her husband’s inaugural ball in January 2017, showcasing his talent as a fashion designer.
The payment to Braillard was flagged on Twitter by Rob Pyers, who pointed out the significant amount given Trump’s reported “cash crunch” due to the mounting legal fees. The payment was listed under operating expenditures as “strategy consulting,” raising questions about its actual purpose.
This isn’t the first time the PAC has paid Braillard under the same pretense. In 2022, they made payments to him with eight installments totaling $132,000, all labeled as “strategy consulting” as well. Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding these payments, the PAC has maintained that Braillard’s expertise extends beyond fashion design, making him valuable for special projects and events.
Hervé Pierre Braillard’s association with Melania Trump dates back to her time as First Lady, and he has designed inaugural gowns for other First Ladies in the past, including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. Despite his successful career as a fashion designer, the payments from the PAC have sparked discussions and speculations about their true nature and whether they genuinely represent “strategy consulting” or if they have other purposes.
Incredibly, despite Trump's cash crunch, his Save America leadership PAC shelled out another $108,000 in the first six months of the year for Melania Trump's stylist, Herve Pierre Braillard, while insisting to the FEC that it's for 'strategy consulting'. pic.twitter.com/tWL9gmFIQF
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) July 31, 2023
