Trump Gives Cash Gifts to Close Aides, Raising Ethics Concerns

US President Donald Trump has given tens of thousands of dollars in cash gifts to four close aides working in the West Wing, according to financial disclosures released by the White House. The recipients include executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain. The payments have raised ethics concerns as federal employees are generally barred by statute from receiving compensation beyond their government salaries. The White House has released financial disclosures detailing the gifts, but the exact amounts given to each aide are not specified. The move has sparked debate about the propriety of such gifts, particularly in light of the federal ban on extra compensation for government employees. The White House has not commented on the matter beyond releasing the financial disclosures.