Foreign billionaire used illegal straw donor scheme to purchase pardon from Trump by donating to leading MAGA super PAC

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Law & Crime

Feb 18th, 2026, 7:37 am


A billionaire supporting President Donald Trump allegedly funneled millions of dollars through a "straw donor" scheme, according to a complaint filed by a nonpartisan public interest watchdog.

On Tuesday, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted a 16-page complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging a Venezuelan billionaire and banker "funneled" $3.5 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC months before he received a presidential pardon.

The complaint alleges those contributions were made by Isabela Herrera, the daughter of Julio Herrera Velutini, on her father's behalf. The filing adds further grist to the mill by noting that Velutini had recently agreed to a "lenient plea deal" in a political bribery case.

"The available information supports finding reason to believe that Julio Herrera Velutini made, and his daughter Isabela Herrera knowingly permitted her name to be used to make, prohibited foreign contributions in the name of another totaling $3.5 million," the filing reads.

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/corrupt-bargain-foreign-billionaire-used-illegal-straw-donor-scheme-to-purchase-pardon-from-trump-by-donating-to-leading-maga-super-pac-federal-complaint-says/

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Full headline: 'Corrupt bargain': Foreign billionaire used illegal 'straw donor' scheme to purchase pardon from Trump by donating to leading MAGA super PAC, federal complaint says

Link to Campaign Legal Center (CLC) SUIT (PDF viewer) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27173079-herrera-complaint-clc/

Link to Campaign Legal Center (CLC) SUIT (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/27173079/herrera-complaint-clc.pdf

[erronis]

1. I'm surprised some are still trying to hide their bribes. Most of the big cats in the US do it openly.

I suppose if you're in another country that may have some laws about bribing foreign officials it might make sense.

[Turbineguy]

2. That alone would get him a pardon in trump world.

[SunSeeker]

3. That was a cheap pardon! $3.5 million is only 0.35% of $1 billion. That's peanuts for a billionaire.

The median net worth of a US household is $192k. That's like your average American getting a pardon out of Trump for just $672 in terms of percentage of net worth. Of course, Trump would never pardon someone for just $672 (unless you committed a crime for his benefit). That's why buying pardons is really only an option for the very rich.

[Walleye]

4. I wish they would quit calling these bribes "donations"

[Jim__]

5. Our elections being corrupted by foreigners? Quick tell Stephen Miller!

[ToxMarz]

6. So what good does a federal complaint do. It just ends up on Trump's desk.

Can some state come up with charges he can't just pardon again.

[mountain grammy]

7. Nothing is illegal in the trump administration

except not supporting trump

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Can't these things be identified as disguised campaign donations, and

Trump be held accountable for campaign fraud?