The Pentagon received a $130 million anonymous donation to pay military personnel during the government shutdown, sparking ethical concerns. President Trump previously mentioned a friend offered the gift. The donation's terms stipulate use for service member salaries and benefits.
The Pentagon accepted an anonymous $US130 million gift to help pay members of the military during the government shutdown , raising ethical questions after President Donald Trump had announced that a friend had offered the gift to offset any shortfalls.
"That's what I call a patriot," Trump said during a White House event when he disclosed the payment from the donor.of military firepower in a region where the Trump administration has unleashed more rapid strikes in recent days against boats it Trump declined to name the person, whom he called "a friend of mine", saying the man didn't want the recognition. Large and unusual, the amount is small compared with the billions of dollars needed to pay service members. The Trump administration told Congress last week that it used $US6.5 billion to make the payroll. The next pay is due next week.AP "The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members' salaries and benefits," said Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon. "We are grateful for this donor's assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops."- nearing four weeks, it is on track to become one of the longest federal closures to date. Neither Republicans, who have control of the House and Senate, nor Democrats, in the minority, are willing to budge in their broader standoff over healthcare funding.Payment for service members is a key concern among lawmakers of both parties - and a point of political leverage. The Trump administration shifted $US8 billion from military research and development funds for last week's payroll, ensuring that military compensation did not lapse.But it is unclear whether the Trump administration would be willing - or able - to shift money again as tensions rise over the protracted shutdown. The $US130 million would cover just a fraction of the billions needed for military paychecks. Trump said the donation was to cover any "shortfall" and it is unclear howe regulations would cover such a donation. "That's crazy," said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organisation focused on the federal government."It's treating the payment of our uniformed services as if someone's picking up your bar tab."Pentagon policy says authorities "must consult with their appropriate Ethics Official before accepting such a gift valued in excess of $10,000 to determine whether the donor is involved in any claims, procurement actions, litigation, or other particular matters involving the Department that must be considered prior to gift acceptance". Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group to deploy from the Mediterranean Sea to the US Southern Command region, near the South American coast. It would "bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States," Sean Parnell said on social media. The Ford - with about 5000 sailors crew and has more than 75 attack, surveillance and support aircraft, including F/A-18 fighters - was recently in port in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is not clear how long it would take to arrive off South America or whether all five of the destroyers in its strike group would make the journey. Deploying an aircraft carrier will add major resources to a region that has already had an unusually large US military build-up in the Caribbean Sea and Venezuelan waters.The latest deployment and the quickening pace of the US strikes, including one on Friday, raised new speculation about how far the Trump administration may go in operations that it says are targeted at drug trafficking, including whether it could try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Hours before Parnell announced the news, Hegseth said the military had conducted the 10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat, killing six and bringing the toll from the attacks that began in early September to at least 43. Hegseth said on social media that the strike was on a vessel operated by the Tren de Aragua gang. It was the second time the administration tied an operation to the gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison. "If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda," Hegseth posted. "Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you."Two of the most recent strikes were carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area where the military has launched attacks and shifting to where much of the cocaine is smuggled from the world's largest producers, including Colombia. Escalating tensions with Colombia, the Trump administration has also imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade.
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