Mike Donilon, a former top political adviser to President Joe Biden, has disclosed that he was paid $4 million for his work on the 2024 re-election campaign and would have received an additional $4 million bonus had Biden won. The revelation came during Donilon’s testimony before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, as reported by Axios.
Donilon, who left the White House in early 2024 to run Biden’s campaign, told lawmakers that Democrats overreacted to Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump. That debate led to widespread calls for Biden to drop out, which he did in July 2024, paving the way for Kamala Harris to become the nominee. Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump.
In his testimony, Donilon acknowledged that Biden showed signs of aging but insisted he was capable of serving. “Every president ages over the four years of a presidency and President Biden did as well, but he also continued to grow stronger and wiser as a leader,” Donilon said, according to Axios. He added that Biden’s experience was “enormously valuable for the nation.”
The Oversight Committee is investigating Biden’s fitness for office amid claims from President Trump that aides used an “autopen” to sign documents. Donilon’s salary, far higher than the $300,000 paid to campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, reportedly caused resentment among other Democrats, as detailed in the book Original Sin by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper.
Other Biden aides, including former counselor Steve Ricchetti, have also testified, with more appearances expected in the coming weeks. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on Donilon’s testimony.
