Melania Trump Pal Stephanie Winston Wolkoff Personally Gained $1.62 Million From Trump’s Inaugural Committee

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is getting plenty of attention in the wake of news regarding payments to the longtime friend of First Lady Melania Trump. The tax records of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee were finally revealed, and through them it was discovered that the president’s inaugural committee made a payment of $25.8 million to WIS Media Partners, Wolkoff’s event planning company, as reported by the New York Times.

“The advisor, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, personally netted $1.62 million.”

Wolkoff took home a tidy profit of $1.62 million, according to the tax documents. Everything left over from the $107 million raised via the Trump committee was to be given to charities, but the tax documents revealed that less than $5 million was given to charities. Stephanie’s company was formed in December 2016.

Stephanie was the first employee that Melania hired for her White House staff, as reported by the Washington Post. Wolkoff’s role to Mrs. Trump was that as a senior adviser. Stephanie, 46, was hired after having years of experience in the fashion industry working as a special events planner.

Melania did not have any knowledge of the payments, reports the New York Times, according to Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s spokeswoman. Grisham issued a statement that Mrs. Trump “had no involvement” with Trump’s inaugural committee “and had no knowledge of how funds were spent.”

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff received $1.62 mill from the committee, a PIC official said https://t.co/Nlw5aJyKFx

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 15, 2018

According to the Daily Beast, Melania and Stephanie have been longtime friends, but Wolkoff now works as an “unpaid” special adviser to Melania. The remaining portion of the $25.8 million was “passed through to other vendors who provided goods or services on a subcontractor basis.”

The news about Mrs. Trump’s top adviser comes after reports of Stephanie’s health scare last year, as reported by Page Six. Stephanie was well known in the fashion world, having been given the nickname General Winston Wolkoff by Anna Wintour. But now Stephanie’s job involves special East Wing projects and other scheduling events for Melania.

Stephanie was originally Wintour’s party planner, reports the New York Times, before winning a role in helping President-elect Donald J. Trump plan the inauguration and later a job with Melania. Wolkoff hails from Vogue.