DOD $130M Anonymous Gift to Cover Troop Pay

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – Breaking Military News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (October 24, 2025) — In a move drawing intense scrutiny from lawmakers and watchdog groups, the Department of Defense confirmed it has accepted a $130 million anonymous donation intended to help fund troop salaries amid the ongoing government shutdown. Officials have declined to reveal the donor’s identity or confirm whether the contribution has undergone a full ethics review.

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According to the Pentagon, the money was accepted “under its general gift acceptance authority” and earmarked to offset the cost of service members’ pay and benefits. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a written statement, “We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”

President Donald Trump first announced the donation on Thursday, describing the contributor only as “a friend” motivated by patriotism. The Defense Department had already shifted unused research funds to ensure troops received mid-month paychecks, but questions remain about the next pay period scheduled for October 30.

Defense budget expert Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute noted that the military’s first-half-of-October payroll totaled roughly $6.5 billion, making the $130 million donation enough to cover about one-third of a single day’s pay. Harrison cautioned that while federal law allows private gifts for military programs, such contributions are usually vetted by Congress for specific projects such as academy facilities — not direct payroll expenses.

“This sounds like a half-baked idea that hasn’t been vetted or implemented,” Harrison said.

Per Defense Department regulations, any donation above $10,000 benefiting troops or family members must be examined by ethics officers to ensure that “the donor does not have interests that may be affected substantially” by the gift. Additional safeguards require even deeper review when a non-U.S. donor is involved — a point officials have refused to clarify.

The revelation has further inflamed partisan tensions on Capitol Hill. House Republican leaders have resisted reconvening to pass a bipartisan measure guaranteeing troop pay through the shutdown, hoping to pressure Senate Democrats into supporting a short-term budget fix.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans failed to advance a bill Thursday that would have funded active-duty paychecks and non-furloughed worker salaries, after Democrats objected to the exclusion of furloughed federal employees.

Congress is expected to revisit several military-pay protection bills next week as the October 30 pay date looms.

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