Wilkins Defends Freedom 250 Gig Against Ethics Accusations
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- Alexis Wilkins was booked to perform at a Freedom 250 event on the National Mall Wednesday and, in a Tuesday tweet, defended herself against a freelance journalist who questioned whether the FBI director's girlfriend getting 'paid by the taxpayers to perform' violated federal ethics laws.
- Wilkins said she was invited 'on my own accord,' that she is 'not accepting payment for this great honor,' and that the Freedom 250 celebration operates on a 'fundraising arm' that is 'not taxpayer funded.'
- Wilkins is listed as having only 5,863 monthly Spotify listeners, with a discography limited to a six-song EP and three singles released 2020–2023 and no full albums.
- President Trump previously announced Lee Greenwood would perform 'God Bless the USA' at the event after a string of other booked performers — including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Morris Day, and Young MC — dropped out of the National Mall concert series.
- Wilkins is currently suing MS Now for defamation over a December report claiming Patel ordered her security detail to escort a friend home after a night of drinking in Nashville; the suit calls the report 'hogwash.'
- The New York Times in March reported that rotating SWAT teams had provided Wilkins with security for 'singing appearances, personal engagements and errands,' a former FBI agents called 'unprecedented.'
- The Wednesday event, titled 'America Is Back: A Kick-Off Celebration For The Great American State Fair,' is sponsored by Freedom 250, the organization Trump founded, and features military flyovers and performances by the U.S. Marine Band and U.S. Army Band 'Pershing's Own.'
Why it matters: Wilkins' defense rests on the claim that Freedom 250 is privately funded and her invitation was merit-based, but the optics of the FBI director's girlfriend headlining a Trump-founded national celebration remain a live ethics flashpoint — especially as the NYT has already documented unprecedented SWAT escorts for her appearances and she is actively suing a media outlet over related coverage.
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