Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News that a mystery donor gave the Defense Department $130 million to pay the troops during the shutdown:
“On October 23, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. “The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits. We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”But it’s unclear how the Trump administration can legally use the funds to pay troops without Congress’ involvement.While the government may accept general donations that go toward general funds available to the government, Congress must appropriate that money to go toward federal employees’ salaries, according to Romina Boccia, the director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington.
Boccia said Congressional intervention is needed.
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.”
The move comes after the Senate Democrats voted down a proposal to pay the troops.
The Democrats did this despite the bill leaving committee with a vote of 26-3.
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