A major new development has emerged in the remarkable story that stunned Washington late this week. The identity of the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to ensure American service members were paid during the ongoing government shutdown.
According to The New York Times and The New York Post, the mystery benefactor is Timothy Mellon, the billionaire businessman and heir to the storied Mellon banking fortune. Mellon, 83, is reportedly worth $14 billion and is the grandson of industrialist and former Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon.
“Billionaire businessman Timothy Mellon – scion of the famed American banking family – is the deep-pocketed donor who gave $130 million to pay U.S. troops during the government shutdown,” the New York Post reported Saturday.
The Post added that President Trump had teased the donation earlier this week, calling the benefactor “a friend” who “loves the military and loves the country” — someone who initially wanted to remain anonymous.
“President Trump announced this week that ‘a friend’ who ‘loves the military and loves the country’ – but who didn’t want to be identified – was giving the money,” the report continued.
While traveling to Asia Friday night, Trump praised the donor’s patriotism and admitted that such discretion was rare in his experience.
Trump described the donor’s anonymity as “pretty unusual in the world I come from,” while en route to Asia Friday night.
As Legal Insurrection previously reported, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed to Fox News that the Department of War had “accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority.”
“The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits,” Parnell said. “We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”
The move came after Senate Democrats blocked a proposal that would have continued paying the troops, despite overwhelming bipartisan support in committee, where the measure passed 26–3.
Still, even with Mellon’s identity confirmed, significant questions remain about whether the government can legally use private funds for troop pay. Experts like Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, warn that the donation likely cannot replace congressional appropriations.
“Private donations go towards military schools, libraries, and museums, or to support service members or civilian employees who are wounded or killed in the line of duty,” Boccia explained, adding that Congress must still appropriate funds for them to be used for salaries.
The White House has declined to comment on Mellon’s reported role, referring all inquiries to the Department of War and the Treasury Department, which have yet to respond to media requests.
For now, Mellon’s act of generosity stands as a historic gesture. One that simultaneously highlights his patriotism and exposes the bitter dysfunction in Washington that made such an extraordinary step necessary.
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