Alina Habba Mildon has lost her $50 million contract with a Florida-based company after Donald Trump publicly criticized the lucrative agreement, calling it “totally obnoxious and outrageous” and saying he did not want her to receive the money.
According to reporting by The New York Times, Concord Partners terminated Habba in a November 4 letter, citing a “failure to perform duties.” The company was established by the family of Venezuelan billionaire banker Julio Herrera Velutini, whom Trump pardoned earlier this year.
The termination came just days after Trump expressed anger over the financial arrangement, which guaranteed Habba more than $50 million over four years. The agreement included $10 million annually, along with additional bonuses.
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Habba will reportedly keep the $6.5 million she had already received, as well as an $8 million signing bonus. However, the termination means she will not receive the remaining payments under the original agreement.
Trump publicly addressed the contract on October 31, saying he believed the arrangement was excessive and that he had already told Habba he did not want her paid.
“I thought it was terrible,” Trump told reporters. “I told her, and I said, ‘I don’t want her paid.’”
He also said he believed someone had contacted the people responsible for the agreement and questioned why Habba had secured such a large financial arrangement.
The contract had drawn attention because of its connection to Herrera Velutini, whose family hired Habba as general counsel for Concord Partners.
Habba signed the agreement in late 2025 while serving in the Trump administration. She began working for Concord on January 1, 2026, while also serving as a senior adviser to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Justice Department.
Two weeks later, on January 15, Trump granted Herrera Velutini a full presidential pardon.
Herrera Velutini had previously faced federal bribery charges connected to allegations involving former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced. He reached a plea agreement in August 2025, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation before receiving the pardon.
The timing of Habba’s employment agreement, her government position and the subsequent pardon prompted questions from lawmakers about potential conflicts of interest and whether personal connections played a role in the clemency process.
Habba has denied having any involvement in securing Herrera Velutini’s pardon. She previously maintained that her employment was disclosed to and reviewed by the Justice Department and had nothing to do with the pardon.
The company has not publicly detailed the circumstances behind the termination beyond the stated failure to perform duties. A person close to the Herrera family told The New York Times that the family believed Habba’s attention had shifted away from her responsibilities at Concord after she began a relationship with Turkish investor Turhan Mildon, whom she married in September.
A person close to Habba told the newspaper that she was considering legal action following the termination.
The firing leaves questions about the remaining financial obligations under the agreement and whether Habba will challenge the company’s decision. For now, the reported $50 million arrangement has ended with Habba retaining approximately $14.5 million in payments and bonuses already received.
