In a filing with the Federal Election Commission, it has been revealed that former President Donald Trump’s political action committee, the Save America PAC, paid French-born stylist Herve Pierre Braillard over $260,000 for “strategy consulting” since the beginning of last year.
The payments were distributed into the first half of 2023, with $108,000 disbursed in monthly increments of $18,000. In 2022, Braillard received $152,500 in eight monthly payments of $18,000, along with an additional $6,000 for April and a $2,500 “year-end bonus.”
Hervé Pierre, known professionally by his first and middle names, has a distinguished client list that includes former first ladies, such as Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama. He gained prominence for designing Melania Trump’s inaugural ball gown, which she wore on January 20, 2017. The gown was later donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The FEC report does not provide details about Braillard’s “strategy consulting” role. However, the stylist has previously stated that he serves as an adviser to the First Lady rather than a stylist, a role Melania Trump has insisted on.
Although Melania Trump has shown support for her husband’s potential bid for a second non-consecutive term, she has largely stayed out of the public eye. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Save America joint fundraising committee has amassed nearly $54 million in donations during the first half of 2023. However, substantial expenses have been reported, with over $20.5 million spent on operating costs and more than $31.4 million transferred to other committees, leaving only $5.7 million in cash on hand.
In comparison, the official Trump 2024 campaign raised $17.7 million during the same period but used over half of it ($9.1 million) on operating expenses. However, the campaign still has a robust $22.5 million in cash on hand as of June 30.
