Timothy Mellon, a withdrawn billionaire and fierce ally of ex-President Donald Trump, is coming into focus. Through a series of extraordinary gifts, he’s given $130 million to ensure that U.S. service members didn’t lose their pay during the latest federal government shutdown. This donation amounts to nearly $100 for every single active-duty service member. More importantly, it shows the extent of Mellon’s financial clout and his deep commitment to sustaining the military.
Mellon, scion of Andrew Mellon, the well-connected gilded-age industrialist-turned-former Treasury Secretary. For all his great riches—he’s one of the top ten wealthiest Americans, according either $700 million or $4 billion—Mr. He has given $125 million to the Super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. This group was instrumental in propelling Trump’s presidential bids. In 2021, he responded by funding the movement, depositing $53 million into Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s state action fund. This fund is intended to build a wall on the state’s border with Mexico.
Trump has characterized Mellon as a “friend,” “great American,” and “patriot,” acknowledging his financial support for both personal and political causes. The donation has raised questions about whether this is even permissible under the Antideficiency Act. This law makes it illegal for any federal agency to spend money before being appropriated (allocated) by Congress, or above those appropriations. Additionally, the Act limits acceptance of voluntary services even further. You can only redeem them outside of emergencies that are life or human safety emergency or property protection emergency.
At the press conference, Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for Mellon, said that the donation is conditional in one major respect. It needs to be applied towards the added costs incurred by service members’ compensation and benefits. This requirement further complicates the matter. That’s a pretty bold interpretation, but it implies that Mellon intended to take direct action to alleviate the financial distress caused by the shutdown directly onto troops.
Mellon’s previous donations reflect a pattern of escalating financial support for Trump’s initiatives. Further, his personal contributions skyrocketed from $10 million in 2016 to $60 million in 2020. Surprisingly, given his very large financial support for political causes, Mellon has indicated a desire to remain under the radar. As Trump himself noted, he was never a fan of having his name brought up. He referred to this preference as a rarity and strange thing, particularly in the world of politics where everyone tends to crave the spotlight. This reluctance for publicity does nothing but add to the mysteriousness of Mellon’s true motivations and ultimate intentions with his philanthropically funded efforts.
The significance of Mellon’s recent gift goes far beyond that financial support. Analysts have started looking at the ways these increasingly common donations can reshape political atmospheres and improve personal interactions between hyper affluent donors and government business. Amid an unprecedented and dangerous government shutdown, these proposals should cause alarm. Lawmakers and watchdog organizations are likely to question the legality of private donations funding military operations.