Melania Trump Paid $487,500 To Speak At Two Gay Republican Events, Sparking Ethics Concerns

Amid her absence from her husband’s campaign trail, Melania Trump did receive two six-figure paychecks for attending political events.

The former first lady was paid $237,500 to speak at a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans in April, according to the former president’s latest financial disclosure form. While the form states that the political group paid her, it is unclear who specifically cut the check.

Campaign finance and government ethics experts say this kind of payment to a presidential candidate’s spouse to attend political events is unusual and should be investigated, especially given the ambiguous nature of the disclosure.

“It seems pretty self-serving. From my own general observation, I’m not used to seeing that,” Chief Ethics Counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics Virginia Canter told CNN. “You could indicate that payment was for a speaking engagement for the Log Cabin Republicans, but you also need to report who the source of the payment was; otherwise, you can’t assess for the conflicts of interest, and it wouldn’t be in compliance with the rules.” 

Melania’s team has not addressed the financial disclosure.

Log Cabin Republicans is an organization affiliated with the Republican party that advocates for LGBTQ rights. Records show that Melania was also paid $250,000 for a Log Cabin Republicans event in December 2022, one of three payments of this amount or more that she received for speaking that month. 

In a recent video to promote her new memoir, the former first lady defended her nude modeling career.