Alina Habba Mildon, a former attorney for President Donald Trump, has been fired from a contract worth more than $50 million with a company established by the daughter of a Venezuelan banker whom Trump pardoned weeks after she began working for the firm. The termination follows the president's public criticism of the arrangement, while congressional Democrats are investigating the circumstances surrounding the pardon.
Concord Partners, a Florida company founded by Isabela Herrera, terminated Habba Mildon's contract in a November 4, 2026, letter citing a "failure to perform duties," according to documents obtained by The New York Times. Habba Mildon will keep $14.5 million already paid to her, including an $8 million signing bonus and $6.5 million in additional payments.
The four-year agreement provided for $10 million annually plus bonuses. Habba Mildon declined to comment on the termination, but a person close to her said she was planning to pursue legal action. Representatives for the Herrera family also declined to comment.
Trump had criticized the agreement after its terms became public in October, saying he had told Habba Mildon that he wanted the payments stopped.
"I thought it was totally obnoxious and outrageous, and it's not acceptable," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort on October 31.
The president also told aides and allies that the Herrera family should stop paying Habba Mildon and suggested some of the money be directed to his future presidential library or another Trump-related entity, according to the Times.
Habba Mildon signed the agreement in late 2025 while serving as acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, an appointment that had previously been ruled unlawful by a federal judge. She resigned from that position on December 8 and became a senior adviser to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.
She began working as Concord's general counsel on January 1 while retaining her Justice Department position. The company was established by Herrera, whose father, Julio Herrera Velutini, had faced federal bribery charges involving former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced.
Herrera Velutini reached a plea agreement in August 2025 that reduced his criminal exposure to a misdemeanor campaign finance offense. Trump granted him a full presidential pardon on January 15, two weeks after Habba Mildon began working for his daughter's company.
Isabela Herrera had also contributed $3.5 million to MAGA Inc., a political committee supporting Trump. The timing of the contract and presidential pardon prompted questions about whether political connections or financial arrangements influenced the clemency decision.
Habba Mildon has denied participating in efforts to secure the pardon and maintains that the Justice Department reviewed and approved her outside employment.
"Any insinuation that my employment, all of which has been vetted and disclosed to the DOJ, had anything to do with securing a pardon is false," she said in an earlier statement.
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont and Rep. Dave Min of California announced on November 3 that they were seeking information from Habba Mildon and Herrera Velutini about the contract, political donations and potential involvement of administration officials in the pardon process.
In an October 27 letter, the Democratic lawmakers asked Habba Mildon whether she had communicated with Trump, White House officials, or Justice Department personnel about Herrera Velutini's clemency request. They also sought information about her compensation, employment responsibilities, and any assistance she provided in connection with the banker's criminal case.
The lawmakers requested written responses by November 13 as part of their broader investigation into whether political contributions, personal relationships, or financial arrangements played a role in presidential clemency decisions.
