A recent report revealed that the anonymous donor who contributed $130 million to help the Pentagon cover military salaries during the government shutdown is billionaire Timothy Mellon, as reported by The New York Times.
The 83-year-old, hailing from Saratoga, Wyoming, has a history of financial support for President Trump and various Republican initiatives.
During a briefing at the White House, Trump praised the donor, labeling him a “friend” who prefers to remain unnamed. He described such acts as patriotic.
Interestingly, neither the Pentagon nor the White House has confirmed the Times’ identification of Mellon. Requests for comments directed at the Pentagon were passed on to the White House.
History of Political Donations
Documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission show that in late April, Mellon donated nearly $2 million to MAGA, a super PAC that supports Trump. Earlier, in March, he contributed $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, another super PAC focused on electing Republicans to Congress.
Mellon’s financial support for Trump dates back to September 2016, shortly after Trump’s first electoral victory over Hillary Clinton. He donated $140 million to MAGA Inc. last year and $2,900 to Vice President Vance during his initial Senate campaign in 2021.
Additionally, Mellon has committed over $25 million in 2023 and 2024 to a super PAC associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign and has also donated to Tulsi Gabbard’s Democratic run in 2019.
Comes from a Notable Family
Timothy Mellon is the son of Paul Mellon and Mary Conover Brown, inheriting a notable family fortune. He is connected to Mellon Bank founder Thomas Mellon and is also the grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, who faced impeachment inquiries in 1932 related to corruption.
The Mellon family’s wealth is reported to stand at approximately $14.1 billion, according to Forbes.
In a 2020 autobiography, Mellon made controversial remarks, describing the social safety net as a “redux of slavery” and commenting on perceptions of black Americans during the mid-20th century.
When later questioned about his support for Trump, Mellon stated that he contributes to various political figures as he sees fit, without feeling the need to explain his choices.
Donation Raises Legal Questions
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the $130 million donation was accepted according to departmental regulations. He clarified that the funds were earmarked specifically to cover military personnel’s pay and benefits.
As more than 1.3 million active service members were due to receive paychecks, President Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to allocate $8 billion from the Defense Department’s Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Fund for military compensation. However, the expected cost of mid-month paychecks was around $6.5 billion, leaving only $1.5 billion available for the upcoming payday, which is anticipated to be between $6 billion to $7 billion.
The donation translates to about $50 per service unit for this pay cycle, based on the anticipated totals from October 15.
This significant contribution, however, raises legal concerns. Regulations state that federal agencies cannot incur expenditures beyond appropriated amounts or accept volunteer services. This law mandates that any violations are reported to the President and Congress.
