Though Melania Trump has been rarely present at Donald Trump’s campaign, she received a six-figure paycheck for a ‘speaking engagement’ for an April event, according to Trump’s latest financial disclosure form. Social media users said this is something spouses generally do for free and only a ‘grifter wife’ like Melania Trump can charge for her blink-and-miss appearances.
Melania spoke at two political fundraisers for the Log Cabin Republicans this year and for the April event, she was paid $237,500, CNN reported.But it is not clear who cut the check as Charles Moran, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, earlier told CNN that the group did not put up any money for Melania to speak.
Since April, Melania has made just a few appearances in support of her husband. In July, she attended the Republican National Convention, as well as an event for conservative gays. It is not known whether she was paid for these appearances.
Raising ethical questions over charging for speaking for her husband, Virginia Canter, the chief ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics said, “It seems pretty self-serving. From my own general observation, I’m not used to seeing that.” If the organization did not in fact make the payment to Melania Trump, the former president’s financial disclosure form may run afoul of ethics rules because it should have listed the sponsor who paid Melania Trump and not just where she spoke, Canter said, as quoted by CNN.
Records show Melania Trump was also paid $250,000 for a Log Cabin Republican event in December 2022, one of three payments for $250,000 or more that she received for speaking that month, just after the former president announced he was running for reelection, according to Donald Trump’s prior year financial disclosure form.
Melania Trump’s memoir is also set to be released soon and she has her own business of jewellery line, skincare products, memorabilia etc.
