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The alleged pay-to-play scheme rocks the Trump administration before the midterms

Published October 22, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)

Updated October 22, 2026 9:42AM (EDT)

President Donald Trump listens as Alina Habba delivers remarks before being sworn in as the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in the Oval Office on March 28, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

In March, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired after it was revealed she and her assistant, Corey Lewandowski, had been funneling multi-million dollar contracts to a political ally for self-serving TV advertisements. On Oct. 13, Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned under pressure from the administration when it was reported she had shaken down a donor for $100,000 to pay her American Express bill. This week, Alina Habba, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and Acting U.S.…