Holiday cash gifts to Trump aides spark questions about salary law

Trump’s $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp and two other aides, disclosed as holiday gifts, have ignited a debate over whether they violate 18 U.S. Code § 209, which bars executives from supplementing salary from non‑federal sources. Some ethics experts say the payments look like improper pay, while others disagree given the limited facts. The White House defends the gifts as non‑duty‑related and permissible. The piece also notes that cash gifts are generally treated as pay for tax purposes, with de minimis exceptions not applying to cash, and emphasizes that no charges have been filed.