President Donald Trump’s transition team has released its list of donors, one year after it pledged to do so, with names that range from future Cabinet secretaries to GOP megadonors.
The 45-person list, which a Trump transition official shared Wednesday, includes Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the transition’s co-chairs. McMahon and Lutnick were also the largest donors, according to the official.
The transition raised more than $14 million and spent close to that amount. Incoming presidential administrations typically spend transition funds on hiring staff members and securing office space, but the Trump transition did not disclose how the money was spent.
The list of donors, first reported by The New York Times, also includes Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, and some Republican megadonors, including Paul Singer, Jeff Yass and Robert Bigelow. At least five transition donors — Bigelow, Lutnick, McMahon, Singer and Robert Bishop — were also among the major donors who boosted Trump's 2024 campaign.
The transition did not detail how much each donor contributed.
“President Trump greatly appreciates his supporters and donors; however, unlike politicians of the past, he is not bought by anyone and does what’s in the best interest of the country. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," former Trump transition official Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. "This administration remains laser-focused on delivering real results for the American people — putting Americans first, creating jobs, securing our borders, and strengthening our economy."
The Times reported that the donor listed as Stanley Woodward is associate attorney general at the Justice Department and that Dominick Gerace is the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. NBC News has asked Gerace and Woodward for comment.
Trump's first presidential transition raised $6.5 million and spent almost $4.7 million. Unlike in his first term, Trump's second presidential transition declined to accept public funds, which also meant its donors were not subject to contribution caps or disclosure rules under federal law. Had the transition accepted those public funds, the private donations would have been limited to $5,000 and disclosed 30 days after Trump took office.
Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement exactly one year ago that the use of private funds would be "providing cost savings to American taxpayers."
"Donors to the Transition will be disclosed to the public," Wiles said at the time. "Consistent with Transition policy already in place, the Transition will not accept foreign donations."
Here's the list of donors:
- Kameel Ali
- Robert Bigelow
- Robert Bishop
- Adam Clampitt
- Jesus Cuartas
- Andrew Cuff
- Michael Desmond
- Stephen Dewey
- Douglas Dewysocki
- Wade Eyerly
- Robert Foran
- Brigette Frantz
- Samantha George
- Dominick Gerace
- Thomas Griffy
- Matthew Iager
- Jeremy Isenberg
- Harry Jackson
- Robert Johnson
- Suzanne Johnson
- Marcel Kaminstein
- Catalina Lamontain
- Elias Levy
- Jeff Littlejohn
- Howard Lutnick
- Charles McCarthy
- Linda McMahon
- Robert Newton
- Scott Pillath
- Stephen Plaster
- Marlene Ricketts
- Thomas Schiavone
- Conor Sheehey
- Susan Silverie
- Paul Singer
- Jonathan Slemrod
- James Tuell
- Robert Turley
- Gene Ventura
- Frederick Wilson
- Anita Winsor
- Steven Witkoff
- Hector Wong
- Stanley Woodward
- Jeff Yass
