President Donald Trump has given sizable holiday cash gifts to several of his closest White House aides. According to financial disclosures released by the administration last week, executive assistant Natalie Harp and two other aides each received $45,000 in cash. In total, these holiday gifts were given to four aides.
Experts say these gifts are without precedent and may violate the law, as federal employees are generally barred from receiving compensation beyond their government salaries. Financial disclosures show the sums provided were equivalent to nearly one-third of each of the recipients' salaries.
Natalie Harp's relationship with the president has recently come under scrutiny. This follows revelations that she was in the catering truck with the president during a secret plane swap in July.