A set of leaked text messages has pulled a private dispute inside Trump’s executive circle into public view. The exchange involves former Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell, former Trump personal attorney Alina Habba, and her Turkish businessman husband Turhan Mildon. At the center: Mildon’s allegation that he wired $17.6 million to a defense company at Grenell’s direction, with roughly $5.6 million of it intended for the Kennedy Center — money that Mildon says never arrived at the institution. A White House counsel review was already under way before Axios published the disputed text on October 19.
Axios obtained and reported on the leaked text message on October 19, 2026. The message, dated May 3, 2025, allegedly came from Grenell to Mildon and promised to arrange access to senior Trump administration officials and VIP events once the money arrived. Mildon says he wired $17.6 million to Texas Armament & Technology at Grenell’s direction, with roughly $5.6 million of that amount meant for the Kennedy Center. Mildon says he learned only after 17 months that the money never reached the institution. Grenell has called the accusations “absurd” and “a lie,” and has denied sending the text. The dispute came to a head when Habba confronted President Trump directly in an October 9 Oval Office meeting; Trump directed White House counsel Will Scharf to review the matter, and Axios first reported the White House review on October 14. The October 19 piece revealed the disputed text.
If federal oversight bodies or congressional committees open formal inquiries into the allegation, both the private donors and the executive figures named in the texts could face scrutiny under federal conflict-of-interest rules. That would place two figures with active White House connections — Grenell and Habba — under formal legal examination at a time when both retain influence over administration appointments and advisory functions.
The Kennedy Center’s Legal Structure Makes This More Than a Private Dispute
The Kennedy Center is not a standard private nonprofit. It operates under a hybrid federal-trustee charter — a federal cultural institution with a board partially appointed by the President of the United States. That structure creates distinct audit and financial reporting obligations that differ from a standard 501(c)(3) donation arrangement, and any allegation about funds intended for the institution carries a different institutional weight than a private charity dispute.
Grenell’s team has noted that the disputed text message contains the British spelling “centre” — which Grenell’s side argues he would not use — and White House counsel is currently examining the digital footprint of the message to verify its authenticity. That verification is ongoing, and no conclusion has been reported.
What the text messages establish clearly is that the dispute was private for an extended period before surfacing in executive channels. Mildon said he spent 17 months believing the $5.6 million portion of the wire had been delivered before learning it never reached the Kennedy Center. A private donor grievance that runs 17 months without formal organizational resolution points to a dispute that stayed outside normal institutional channels — a detail the White House counsel’s review will need to address regardless of what the digital authentication of the text determines.
Habba first described the amount to Trump as $17 million; Axios reported the Kennedy Center portion as approximately $5.6 million. That discrepancy in figures reflects the disputed characterization of what portion of the $17.6 million wire was specifically intended for the cultural institution versus other purposes Grenell had described.
What is the Kennedy Center controversy involving Ric Grenell and Alina Habba?
The controversy centers on Alina Habba’s husband Turhan Mildon alleging that former Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell solicited a wire of $17.6 million to a defense company, with roughly $5.6 million designated for the Kennedy Center — money Mildon says never arrived. Grenell has called the accusations a lie and denied sending the disputed text. White House counsel began examining the matter after Habba confronted Trump on October 9, and Axios published the disputed text on October 19.
The White House counsel’s review of the allegations and the digital authentication of the disputed text are the next formal developments to watch. Whether the dispute escalates beyond the current internal review will depend on whether either party or congressional oversight bodies pursue formal document requests. Follow this story for updates on any inquiry developments.
