Daughter of banker pardoned by Trump donates $2.5m to his ballroom

The daughter of banker Julio Herrera Velutini, whom Donald Trump pardoned in a bribery case, transferred $2.5m to the ballroom construction project.

The Washington Post reports.

The case of Julio Herrera Velutini

In 2022, Julio Herrera Velutini was charged with bribing the Governor of Puerto Rico. According to the prosecution, the bribe was intended to help remove a regulator who was investigating Velutini’s bank.

In August 2025, as part of a plea deal with the investigation, the charges against him were reduced to a misdemeanour.

Trump subsequently pardoned the banker.

Isabella Herrera’s donations

The banker’s daughter, Isabella Herrera, had previously also transferred $3.5m to a political committee linked to the MAGA movement.

A human rights organisation expressed the suspicion that Isabella may have been acting as a nominal donor for her father.

In addition, she donated $2.5m to the construction of Trump’s ballroom.

Thus, the total amount of Isabella Herrera’s known donations in this context is $6m.