Richard Grenell speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Questions about how high-level political appointees wield their power have long persisted, particularly under the Trump-Vance administration. Now, allegations involving openly gay Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell, White House adviser Alina Habba, and her husband, Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, are making headlines across newsrooms.
The allegations have prompted President Donald Trump to order an investigation into what has become a convoluted mess, raising questions about a potential “pay-for-play” scheme within the White House.
Axios first reported that Habba accused Grenell of directing her husband to send $17.6 million to a Texas defense and security company, with approximately $5.6 million supposedly earmarked for the Kennedy Center. A text message allegedly sent by Grenell to Mildon promised VIP events and access to administration officials, including Trump, in connection with arranging a donation.
“Once the money comes to the company here, I will arrange the donation to Kennedy center, and you’ll be joining the VIP events and get close with the administration, even with POTUS,” the message allegedly sent by Grenell reads, according to Axios.
Habba, a former U.S. attorney for New Jersey, has alleged that the Kennedy Center never received the donation. Grenell, who served as the center’s acting director from February 2025 to March 2026, has denied sending the text message and called the allegations against him false.
According to Axios, Habba raised concerns with Trump on Oct. 9 after money had reportedly been sent to the Texas company but the promised donation to the Kennedy Center had not materialized. One administration official described Habba as “pretty animated” during the discussion and said she exclaimed at one point, “Ric stole the money!”
However, an administration source told Axios that Habba had not gathered all the necessary information before making the accusation.
“[She] didn’t have all her stuff in order. She went in there half-cocked without all the facts yelling about Grenell stealing. And the facts keep changing,” the source told Axiso. “That doesn’t mean Ric is out of the woods. This looks really shady.”
Following Habba’s accusations, Trump called White House Counsel Will Scharf into the Oval Office and asked him to investigate her claims, according to sources cited by Axios.
Trump and Scharf then called Grenell, who denied the allegations and said he would have immediately alerted others if he had known about a $17 million contribution.
“There’s no way this is true. This is crazy,” Grenell told Trump at one point, according to a source briefed on the discussion.
The Kennedy Center reportedly has no record of receiving the alleged $5.6 million contribution. The White House investigation remains ongoing, with officials examining the digital authenticity of the disputed text message.
Grenell has denied soliciting money under false pretenses or receiving any payment from Mildon.
“I’ve never asked for one cent to be sent somewhere else pretending it was for the Kennedy Center, and I’ve never received any payment from him at all,” Grenell said. “Make him give proof to what he is saying, not make these absurd allegations.”
The amount Habba cited has also reportedly changed. She initially claimed the donation intended for the Kennedy Center totaled approximately $17 million, while the amount allegedly designated for the performing arts institution appears to have been $5.6 million.
The allegations come amid broader questions about corruption within the Trump-Vance administration. Vice President JD Vance addressed the issue last week when asked whether he had witnessed anything inside the White House that gave him pause.
“D.C. is a corrupt town,” Vance said. However, he added, “I have not seen a single shred of evidence that [Trump] participates or sanctions in that corruption.”
The Washington Blade reached out to the White House, Habba, and Grenell for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
The National LGBT Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: NationalLGBTMediaAssociation.com.
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