Trump Gave Three Aides $45,000 Holiday Gifts

Financial disclosures show that President Donald Trump gave $45,000 holiday cash gifts to executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris, each of whom earns $150,000 annually. He also gave $20,000 to Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta, whose salary is $175,000, bringing the disclosed gifts to $155,000. The unusually large payments to subordinate government employees have prompted scrutiny under federal rules generally barring private supplementation of government salaries. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said the gifts may violate those restrictions, while former acting Office of Government Ethics director Don Fox said the facts do not clearly establish a violation but called the arrangement troubling because it could create indebtedness or influence. The White House defended the payments as part of Trump’s longstanding practice of giving holiday gifts and said they were unrelated to the aides’ official duties and therefore permissible.