Overview
- The Defense Department says it accepted a $130 million donation on Oct. 23 under its general gift authority with instructions to offset service members’ salaries and benefits.
- Multiple reports led by the New York Times identify the donor as billionaire Timothy Mellon, though the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the name.
- Legal and budget analysts say accepting or spending the donation risks violating the Antideficiency Act, which restricts expenditures and voluntary services without congressional approval.
- The sum is a fraction of the roughly $6–$7 billion needed per military payday, equating to about $100 per active-duty troop at most and possibly less this cycle.
- The gift follows the administration’s move to tap about $8 billion in unobligated Pentagon R&D funds for pay, a step that has also drawn questions about legality and process.