While Melania Trump often faces criticism and challenges as the former First Lady, there are moments when she enjoys certain perks. One such occasion arose in late 2021 when she received a payment of $155,000 from a Trump-aligned super PAC. It is unusual for a spouse to be directly paid by a campaign or super PAC associated with a potential candidate. The details of the payment to Melania only came to light after a filing made by Donald Trump according to New York magazine.
The payment was listed as compensation for a “speaking engagement” by Melania in the financial disclosure filed by Donald Trump. The $155,000 payment was made in December 2021 by the super PAC Make America Great Again, Again, which was one of Trump’s leading super PACs at the time.
Interestingly, Melania’s name did not appear on the super PAC’s list of expenditures made public the previous year. Instead, the report showed two payments of $125,000 and $30,000 to “Designer’s Management Agency,” a company that lists Melania as a client on its website. The payments were made on December 2 and 3, 2021. However, in the new disclosure, Donald Trump stated that Melania was paid $155,000 on December 2, 2021.
The now-defunct super PAC initially reported to the Federal Election Commission that the two payments were for “event planning and consulting,” rather than a “speaking engagement.” The timing of the payment aligns with the PAC’s fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago on December 2, 2021. The specifics of the dinner are not widely known, but it was reported that about 20 couples each paid $250,000 to attend, contributing to the Make America Great Again Again super PAC.
So why was Melania paid a six-figure sum for an event with approximately 40 attendees? According to an anonymous representative from Make America Great Again, Again, she was hired for her expertise in table-setting and design. The representative stated that Melania was hired through her agency for “design consulting” for the super PAC’s dinner. Her responsibilities included selecting tableware, arranging settings, and choosing floral arrangements. The representative confirmed that Melania received a fee of $125,000, and the additional $30,000 payment was for services provided beyond the scope of the initial contract.
Another representative for the super PAC, who declined to be identified by name, said that Ms. Trump had been hired through her agency for “design consulting” for the old super PAC’s dinner and that her responsibilities included choosing tableware, arranging settings and picking floral arrangements. The fee was $125,000, and the second $30,000 payment was for additional services rendered out of the scope of the first contract, the representative said.
The super PAC representative said the group did not know what share of the money Ms. Trump would receive from the agency.
