Back in April, America’s former first lady Melania Trump hosted a political fundraiser in Florida for the largest conservative LGBTQ+ organisation in the US, the Log Cabin Republicans.

Having been conspicuously absent from the Trump campaign, her long-time association with the group came to a head at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida, club where she and former president Donald Trump live.

Dressed for work in a black Michael Kors blazer with a wraparound belt and a pair of cigarette leg pants, her appearance alongside influential Republicans was seen as a major step forward in supporting Trump’s re-election to the White House.

It was a resounding campaign distraction as Trump was preparing for his New York court case, but it came at a cost.

Literally.

As Melania, 54, prepares for a morning sit-down with FOX & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt on September 26 (local time), to discuss her memoir, Melania, she has come under fire for receiving a massive $US237,500 ($345,000) pay day for her two-hour evening workload.

Melania’s day-time gig was listed as a speaking engagement and paid for by the Log Cabin Republicans in Trump’s latest financial disclosure form.

However, CNN reported it was “a mystery” who actually provided the cheque.

President of the Log Cabin Republicans, Charles Moran told the network earlier this month “the group did not put up the money for her to speak, and the disclosure form did not give any more information about the source of the payment”.

Melania hosted a second fundraiser for the group in her New York penthouse apartment on July 8 and raised $US1.4 million for the cause, says guest Richard Grenell, who served in Trump’s cabinet in 2020.

CNN says it’s “unclear” whether Melania was paid.

Campaign finance and government ethics experts tell CNN “a payment to a presidential candidate’s spouse to appear at political fundraisers in an election is unusual, ethically questionable and should … be properly noted in the disclosure forms”.

Virginia  Canter, the chief ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington described the April payment as “pretty self-serving”.

“From my own general observation, I’m not used to seeing that.

“You could indicate that payment was for a speaking engagement for the Log Cabin Republicans, but you also need to report who the source of the payment was, otherwise you can’t assess for the conflicts of interest, and it wouldn’t be in compliance with the rules.

“It should have properly been reported so that the source of the income is listed for the honorarium.”

Meanwhile, Melania’s running sheet for her Earhardt interview will concentrate on her book, the Trump campaign’s strategy in the remaining six weeks until the election on November 5, and the two assassination attempts on her husband.

Conspicuously absent on the campaign trail this year, the reclusive former first lady managed to produce several short video clips to promote her book on X, including speaking about becoming a mother, renovating the rose garden at the White House, breaking down the Fourth Amendment for us, and defending her nude photo shoots.

In one clip, she even suggested there was “more to the story” of the July 13 assassination attempt of Trump in Pennsylvania: “I can’t help but wonder: Why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech?”

Not wanting to lose momentum, she’s also spruiked her Christmas collection of ornaments on her official website, with a “Merry Christmas, AMERICA!” message.

Dominating the cable news landscape (available in 70 million homes), Fox says in a statement this is the first official television interview Melania has done in more than two years.

The last time was in May 2022, when she sat down with FOX & Friends Weekend‘s Pete Hegseth.

“People I see always criticise me, whatever I do, and I’m used to that,” she said at the time, according to Adweek.

“I move forward and I’m here to help people. And that is the mission.”

Foxtel broadcasts Fox & Friends with Ainsley Earhardt weeknights 8-11pm (AEST)