Pentagon Accepts Anonymous $130m Donation To Help Pay The Military During Government Shutdown - Beritaja

The Pentagon has confirmed it has accepted an anonymous $130m (£98m) gift to thief salary members of the subject during the authorities shutdown.

President Donald Trump announced the aid astatine the White House connected Thursday, calling the philanthropist a "patriot" and "friend of mine," but withholding his name, saying they did not want recognition.

Mr Trump said: "He called america the different time and he said, 'I'd for illustration to lend immoderate shortfall you person because of the Democrat shutdown. I'd for illustration to contribute, personally contribute, immoderate shortfall you person pinch the military, because I emotion the subject and I emotion the country' ... And today, he sent america a cheque for $130 million".

The Pentagon confirmed it had accepted the aid connected Thursday "under its wide gift acceptance authority."

"The aid was made connected the information that it beryllium utilized to offset the costs of work members' salaries and benefits," Sean Parnell, main spokesperson for the Pentagon, said successful a statement.

"We are grateful for this donor's assistance aft Democrats opted to withhold salary from troops."

The authorities shutdown is now approaching its 5th week, and is connected way to go 1 of the longest national closures ever.

Neither Republicans, who person power of the House, Senate and White House, nor Democrats, successful the minority, are consenting to budge successful their broader stand-off complete wellness attraction funding.

Explained: What is simply a shutdown and who does it impact?

On Thursday, the Senate grounded to beforehand a GOP measure that would person provided salary for immoderate national workers, and an replacement offered by the Democrats to salary each national workers besides failed.

Although a ample sum, the $130m gift amounts to conscionable a mini publication toward the billions needed to screen work personnel pay.

The Trump management told Congress past week that it utilized $6.5bn to screen subject pay.

The adjacent payday is owed wrong the week, and it is unclear if the management will again move money about to guarantee the subject does not spell without pay.

The Trump management diverted $8bn from subject investigation and improvement costs to salary troops connected time.

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Ethical concerns person been raised complete the donation.

A spokesperson for Senator Chris Coons, the ranking personnel of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee connected Defence, said the anonymous quality of the aid raised concerns.

"Using anonymous donations to money our subject raises troubling questions of whether our ain troops are astatine consequence of virtually being bought and paid for by overseas powers," the spokesperson said.

Pentagon argumentation says authorities "must consult pinch their due morals charismatic earlier accepting specified a gift weighted successful excess of $10,000 to find whether the philanthropist is progressive successful immoderate claims, procurement actions, litigation, aliases different peculiar matters involving the Department that must beryllium considered anterior to gift acceptance."