Donald Trump pardoned banker whose daughter pledged millions to White House project

Isabela Herrera, daughter of Venezuelan-Italian banker Julio Herrera Velutini, committed to donating $2.5 million toward a ballroom being constructed at the White House months before President Donald Trump pardoned her father.

This commitment follows a previous $3.5 million contribution Herrera made to the MAGA Inc. political committee. The Campaign Legal Center has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging that the daughter acted as an intermediary for her father's funds.

Julio Herrera Velutini was charged in 2022 for allegedly financing the campaign of former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez in exchange for the removal of a banking regulator. While his charges were reduced to a misdemeanor in August 2025, Trump issued a full pardon for Velutini, Vázquez, and a political consultant in January 2026. The White House has maintained that the original legal proceedings were politically motivated.