According to The New York Times, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to First Lady Melania Trump and a contractor for President Donald Trump's inaugural committee, is disputing the White House's claims that she was fired for excessively profiting from the event, insisting that officials are trying to put blame on her to distract from the broader misconduct that went on in the inaugural fund.
"Was I fired? No," said Winston Wolkoff. "Did I personally receive $26 million or $1.6 million? No. Was I thrown under the bus? Yes."
Winston Wolkoff was dismissed following a financial report showing that an entity she incorporated, WIS Media Partners, received $26 million from the fund. Her own firm allegedly received $1.62 million, which was distributed to her employees, and she personally received $500,000.
Trump's inaugural committee has been under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York, amid allegations that the committee may have offered quid pro quo arrangements to donors or diverted funds to enrich the Trump family's businesses.