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Report says family of pardoned Venezuelan billionaire paid Alina Habba $50M

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets, all left-leaning.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

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Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

The New York Times reported, and three other outlets repeated, that the family of Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini hired Alina Habba, Trump’s former attorney, under a deal worth about $50 million. According to the reporting, the terms were $10 million a year for four years plus bonuses, and Trump pardoned Herrera in January after the agreement was made. Habba, who was then U.S. attorney for New Jersey, has denied playing any role in the pardon process. Herrera was indicted in 2022 on charges tied to an alleged scheme to bribe Puerto Rico’s governor and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A report says the family of Julio Herrera Velutini agreed to pay Alina Habba about $50 million.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left2Left2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast, HuffPost
    Left
    The New York Times, The Independent

  2. The reported terms were $10 million a year for four years, plus bonuses.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The Independent

  3. Trump pardoned Herrera in January, after the agreement was made.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The Independent

  4. Habba has denied playing any role in the pardon process.

    One outletThe Independent· Left

  5. Habba was U.S. attorney for New Jersey when the agreement was made and resigned in December 2025 after judges ruled her appointment unlawful.

    One outletThe Independent· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The Herrera family hired Habba in order to secure the pardon.

    The New York Times report, as relayed by the other outlets, says the family hired her to wipe the record clean; Habba has denied playing any role in the pardon process.

How each side tells it

Compare views

The left-side outlets report that a family linked to a Venezuelan billionaire paid Alina Habba about $50 million before Trump pardoned him, and they lead with the pardon-for-payment link, with Far Left outlets using louder words like bombshell and goon.

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Headlines center the pardon-for-payment link and the $50 million figure; Far Left outlets add loaded labels and drama, while the Independent gives a flat, attributed report headline.

    Venezuelan family Loaded verb“scored a Trump pardon”“Scored” frames receiving a pardon as a win for the family rather than describing the act neutrally.More neutral: received a Trump pardonDisagree with this highlight? after giving $50M job to his ex-attorney Alina Habba: report
    The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    No coverage yet

    No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left6

    bombshellscandal-riddenTrump GoonJaw-Dropping

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    bombshellMore neutral: report

    A dramatic noun that adds emphasis beyond the reported facts.

    …42, an annual salary of $10 million over four years plus bonuses, according to a bombshell investigation by The New York Times.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)HuffPost (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    scandal-riddenMore neutral: billionaire

    Pre-judges the billionaire with a label the description does not establish.

    …Trump’s former attorney landed a more-than-$50 million deal with the family of a scandal-ridden Venezuelan billionaire just weeks before the president pardoned him.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Dehumanizing label

    Trump GoonMore neutral: Donald Trump’s former attorney

    A demeaning label for a named person that replaces her description as Trump’s former attorney.

    Female Trump Goon’s Jaw-Dropping $50M Deal With Pardoned Billionaire Leaked

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Jaw-DroppingMore neutral: major

    An adjective that adds drama without adding facts about the deal.

    Female Trump Goon’s Jaw-Dropping $50M Deal With Pardoned Billionaire Leaked

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    LeakedMore neutral: reported

    Implies an unauthorized disclosure, while the article describes a published investigation by The New York Times.

    Female Trump Goon’s Jaw-Dropping $50M Deal With Pardoned Billionaire Leaked

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    scored a Trump pardonMore neutral: received a Trump pardon

    “Scored” frames receiving a pardon as a win for the family rather than describing the act neutrally.

    Venezuelan family scored a Trump pardon after giving $50M job to his ex-attorney Alina Habba: report

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

Words quoted from someone else (3)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    crazyMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    MS NOW host Jen Psaki on Tuesday chronicled a “crazy insane” bombshell report from The New York Times concerning former Justice Department…

    Quoted byHuffPost (Far Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    insaneMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    MS NOW host Jen Psaki on Tuesday chronicled a “crazy insane” bombshell report from The New York Times concerning former Justice Department adviser…

    Quoted byHuffPost (Far Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    Crazy InsaneMore neutral: Psaki comments on Alina Habba report

    Psaki’s words, but the headline chooses them to set the tone of the story.

    Jen Psaki Highlights ‘Crazy Insane’ Alina Habba Bombshell

    Quoted byHuffPost (Far Left)

    These are Jen Psaki’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Pardon tied to payment
  • $50 million figure
  • Habba’s former role as Trump attorney
See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The IndependentLeft

    Venezuelan family Loaded verb“scored a Trump pardon”“Scored” frames receiving a pardon as a win for the family rather than describing the act neutrally.More neutral: received a Trump pardonDisagree with this highlight? after giving $50M job to his ex-attorney Alina Habba: report

    Habba, who recently married a Turkish billionaire, denied playing any role in the pardon process

    Read at The Independent (opens in a new tab)
  • HuffPostFar Left

    Jen Psaki Highlights ‘Sensational language“Crazy Insane”Psaki’s words, but the headline chooses them to set the tone of the story.More neutral: Psaki comments on Alina Habba reportThese are Jen Psaki’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?’ Alina Habba Sensational language“Bombshell”A dramatic noun in the outlet’s own headline that adds emphasis beyond the reported facts.More neutral: reportDisagree with this highlight?

    Habba, a former Trump DOJ adviser, was reportedly guaranteed more than $50 million for securing a Venezuelan billionaire a presidential pardon.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Female Dehumanizing label“Trump Goon”A demeaning label for a named person that replaces her description as Trump’s former attorney.More neutral: Donald Trump’s former attorneyDisagree with this highlight?’s Sensational language“Jaw-Dropping”An adjective that adds drama without adding facts about the deal.More neutral: majorDisagree with this highlight? $50M Deal With Pardoned Billionaire Loaded verb“Leaked”Implies an unauthorized disclosure, while the article describes a published investigation by The New York Times.More neutral: reportedDisagree with this highlight?

    Donald Trump’s former attorney landed a more-than-$50 million deal with the family of a Loaded modifier“scandal-ridden”Pre-judges the billionaire with a label the description does not establish.More neutral: billionaireDisagree with this highlight? Venezuelan billionaire just weeks before the president pardoned him. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.

    Julio Herrera Velutini, a prominent Venezuelan, was seeking clemency. He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, an extraordinarily lucrative job.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The New York Times, Oct 20, 6:45 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The New York TimesLeftOct 20, 6:45 PM EDT
  2. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 21, 6:26 AM EDT
  3. HuffPostFar LeftOct 21, 9:54 AM EDT
  4. The IndependentLeftOct 21, 10:34 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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