Melania Trump drops adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff who made almost $30 million planning inauguration

White House cuts ties to New York event planner after large payment is revealed

Former Vogue special event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff stops for a photo in front of the media at Trump Tower in New York (KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

First Lady Melania Trump has reportedly severed her contract with the senior adviser and fashion insider who made almost $30m planning Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Ms Trump cut ties with event planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff after it was revealed that the Manhattan socialite had made $26m planning Mr Trump’s inauguration – more than any other event planner contracted for the event, according to the New York Times.

Stephanie Grisham, Ms Trump’s spokeswoman, told the Times that her office had “severed the gratuitous services contract with Ms Wolkoff,” adding that the event planner had been employed as “a special government employee” to work on specific projects.

“We thank her for her hard work and wish her all the best,” Ms Grisham said.

Ms Winston Wolkoff’s ties to the first lady have been scrutinised ever since the Times revealed the impressive sum she earned for her work on the inauguration.

Mr Trump's inaugural committee promised to donate the excess of its $107m fundraising haul to charity after the event, but ultimately donated only $5m. The bulk of the money went to four event planning firms, including WIS Media Partners – a company set up by Ms Winston Wolkoff just six weeks before the inauguration.

Ms Grisham told the Times that Ms Trump “had no involvement” with the inaugural committee and that she “had no knowledge of how funds were spent.”

Mr Trump was reportedly enraged by the payment, and by the news that Ms Winston Wolkoff had paid an associate, David Monn, $3.7m to help plan the festivities.

In a statement to the Times, Ms Winston Wolkoff defended her work on the inauguration and pushed back at the idea that her contract was ended in response to recent headlines.

“I was informed by the White House counsel’s office that all gratuitous volunteer contracts were ended,” she said, adding: “I expect to remain a trusted source for advice and support on an informal basis.”

Ms Winston Wolkoff’s ties to the first lady stirred controversy within the White House even before the payments were revealed, according to Politico.

The event planner made her name hosting upscale New York social events like the Met Gala and New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Centre. She ran in the same circles as Ms Trump, and reportedly touted her personal ties to the first lady frequently.

White House aides also reportedly chafed at the fact that she was given a phone, computer, and all-access pass to the West Wing, despite living in New York and only working for the administration part time. Tensions only escalated after her payment was made public.

“The fact that so much was given to her company has really raised eyebrows,” one administration official told Politico. “That’s a whole lot of money, especially when a bunch of that could have been donated to charity.”