Former Donald Trump lawyer Alina Habba landed a deal worth more than $50 million with Concord Partners, a company founded by the daughter of Venezuelan billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini. The arrangement has drawn scrutiny because Trump pardoned Herrera Velutini weeks after Habba began working for the company.
Habba denies involvement in obtaining the pardon from President Trump
According to The New York Times, Alina Habba agreed to become general counsel of Concord Partners. Her contract reportedly pays $10 million annually for four years, plus bonuses.
Isabela Herrera, Julio Herrera Velutini’s daughter, created the Florida company in October 2025. Habba reportedly finalized the agreement within days while serving as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey.
Herrera Velutini had faced felony charges over an alleged scheme involving Puerto Rico’s governor. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation.
Habba officially joined Concord Partners on January 1, 2026. Trump granted Herrera Velutini a full pardon on January 15. Five days later, he issued an amended clemency order covering the misdemeanor offense.
Before Habba’s deal, Isabela Herrera donated $3.5 million to a Trump-aligned super PAC.
Habba denied helping secure the pardon. “If the New York Times simply went back and looked at their own reporting, they have already credited another capable attorney for what he successfully did without me and took credit for. Any insinuation that my employment—all of which has been vetted and disclosed to the D.O.J.—had anything to do with securing a pardon is false and defamatory,” she wrote on X.
The Justice Department told the Times that Habba did not discuss clemency with anyone. It said she played no role in the decision.
A White House official also denied any connection. “Alina Habba had nothing to do with this presidential pardon. The Trump Administration has a robust pardon review process,” the official said.
The timing of Habba’s contract and Herrera Velutini’s pardon has drawn scrutiny. However, the Times report did not establish that Habba secured the pardon in exchange for the deal.
