Habba's $50M Deal and the Herrera Pardon

On Oct. 20, 2026, The New York Times reported that the family of Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan banking billionaire, gave Alina Habba a deal worth more than $50 million while he was seeking a pardon from President Trump. Herrera was charged in 2022 over an alleged scheme to bribe then-Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez into firing a regulator who was examining his bank. He pleaded guilty in August 2025 to a single misdemeanor campaign finance violation. His daughter, Isabela Herrera, registered a company called Concord Partners in late October 2025. Within days it named Habba general counsel at $10 million a year for four years plus bonuses. Habba was then a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi, a post she took in December 2025 after courts ruled she was unlawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. She worked there as a "special government employee," a status that allows outside work.

Habba started at Concord on Jan. 1, 2026. Weeks later, Trump granted Herrera a full and unconditional pardon, along with Vázquez and a former FBI agent who had consulted for Herrera. The pardons came just before their sentencing dates. Herrera had also hired Christopher Kise, a former Trump personal lawyer, to press for clemency. His daughter had given $3.5 million to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. since late 2024, which the Campaign Legal Center alleges was a straw-donor scheme. People familiar with Habba's contract told The Times they believed she was brought in to help with the pardon push.

Habba denied any role, saying her employment had been vetted and disclosed to the Justice Department. The department said she never discussed a pardon with anyone. A White House official said she played no role and pointed to the review process run by the White House Counsel's Office and the Justice Department.