MAGA Feud Erupts Over Alleged $5.6M Kennedy Center Donation Tied to Congo Wire and Venezuela Ties

A high-stakes dispute between Trump allies Alina Habba Mildon and Richard Grenell has escalated into a White House investigation, centering on a disputed $17.6 million wire transfer in May 2025 that allegedly included $5.6 million earmarked for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Habba, Trump's former personal attorney and now wife of Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, confronted President Trump in the Oval Office on October 9, 2026, accusing Grenell—former Kennedy Center executive director and Venezuela envoy—of failing to deliver the funds after directing the payment to Texas defense firm TX-AT.

Multiple outlets, including The New York Times and Axios, report that Habba's account evolved: initially framing the full sum as a donation, later clarifying most was a business transaction with the remainder intended for the arts center. The wire originated from an account linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Finance, not Mildon personally, raising questions about the funds' origins amid Mildon's acknowledged role as an advisor to Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and holder of a Congolese diplomatic passport.

Grenell has categorically denied the claims, stating he never received any payment from Mildon or solicited funds under false pretenses for the Kennedy Center. He acknowledged prior consulting for TX-AT but no involvement at the time of the transfer. Alleged text messages, provided by Mildon's attorneys to White House counsel Will Scharf, purportedly show Grenell promising Mildon VIP access to Trump administration events and positioning him as the 'American face' in Venezuela in exchange for the donation—claims Grenell rejects as fabrications.

Kennedy Center records show no trace of the $5.6 million donation, only a separate $270,000 pledge by Mildon that was fulfilled only after media inquiries. The feud, once rooted in personal friendship, exposes deeper tensions involving Mildon's business interests in Venezuela (including ties to sanctioned figures like Alex Saab) and Congo infrastructure projects. Scharf's probe continues, with documents submitted after initial delays, highlighting accountability questions within Trump's inner circle over influence, foreign business entanglements, and potential pay-for-play dynamics.