White House investigates $17.6 million transfer by Turhan Mildon

The White House has launched an investigation into a $17.6 million money transfer made by Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon. The funds were sent in May 2025 to Texas-based defense and security company Texas Armament & Technology (TX-AT).

Alina Habba, wife of Mildon and former lawyer for Donald Trump, alleges that $5.6 million of the total amount was intended as a donation to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Habba claims that Ric Grenell, a former manager of the Kennedy Center, directed Mildon to make the payment under the guise of a business deal, but the promised donation never reached the institution.

Investigations have identified that the funds originated from a bank account linked to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country where Mildon has served as a consultant and holds a diplomatic passport. Mildon’s legal team has submitted bank receipts, message logs, and financial documents to White House Counsel Will Scharf to support their claims. Ric Grenell has denied the allegations, describing them as ‘absurd’ and denying that he sent messages regarding the arrangement of the donation.