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The Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a nonprofit whose stated aim is to defend democracy, has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) regarding monetary “gifts” from President Donald Trump to a handful of White House staffers.
Trump made payments of $45,000 each to Natalie Harp, his doting executive assistant who rarely leaves his side; Chamberlain Harris, his deputy director of Oval Office operations; and Margo Martin, a White House communications adviser. Trump also gifted $20,000 to Walt Nauta, his longtime aide and confidante, who was implicated in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents scandal before that case was dropped by the Department of Justice (DOJ) after Trump returned to office.
All four payments were disclosed on financial forms that federal employees are required to complete each year, with all of them listing the payments as “Cash Gift for Holidays.” Within the complaint, CLC specifically cited 18 U.S. Code Section 209, a law that prohibits executive branch salaries from being supplemented by other sources, including through the disbursement of cash gifts.
CLC also pointed out that these junior staffers were not eligible for the maximum salary given to White House employees. However, with the gifts, they reached that maximum salary figure of $195,200.
The organization notes that “preventing problematic gifts such as these is one of the reasons that Congress enacted Section 209.” Citing quotes from past court rulings regarding the law, CLC noted that, “After receiving a gift from a private source, ‘the employee may tend to favor his outside payor even though no direct pressure is put on him to do so.'”
“In paying White House employees funds beyond their government salaries, President Trump has created the same scenarios Congress specifically contemplated and sought to prevent,” the complaint from CLC said, adding that the payments raise “the legitimate question as to whether President Trump is paying [employees] for acting on his personal behalf, rather than in the interests of the public.”
The organization is demanding that OGE open an investigation into the payments and refer criminal charges to the DOJ, if the agency deems them proper.
As president, Trump would likely be immune from any charges, if the inquiry even gets that far. However, Section 209 doesn’t just prohibit the disbursement of outside funds for salaries, but also accepting those funds — meaning that Harp, Harris, Martin, and Nauta could potentially be indicted.
Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel, and senior director for ethics at CLC, emphasized the need to investigate the payments in a press release accompanying the complaint.
“The American public has a right to know where government employees’ loyalties lie,” Payne said. “Laws prohibiting government employees from receiving supplemental income are not arbitrary; they exist to ensure that public servants’ priorities remain focused on public service, not a wealthy benefactor who may have other objectives in mind.”
“An investigation into this matter is clearly warranted, and, if a violation is indeed found, this matter must be referred to the Department of Justice,” Payne added.
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