Trump Enemy Warns White House Is Cashing in on Ballroom Plan
Democrats are demanding answers on whether the president is engaging in a pay for play scheme with his ballroom.
Democratic senators are concerned about the monetization of President Donald Trump’s ballroom and are increasing pressure on the White House for explanations regarding the 28,000-square-meter space.
A group of lawmakers, led by Senator Adam Schiff of California, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, sent a letter Tuesday to White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wilms.
This initiative follows the outrage sparked last week by the demolition of the East Wing of the White House to build his 8,400-square-meter ballroom, without any oversight.
The project is being funded by private donors and the president himself, even though Trump initially stated he would personally finance it. Since its announcement this summer, the cost has steadily increased, rising from $200 million to $350 million.
However, aside from publishing a list of 37 donors, the White House has not disclosed the amount of each contribution or the circumstances surrounding their donations.
The senators wrote: “We are writing to you to express our deep concern regarding President Trump’s funding of the White House ballroom project through private donations from individuals and corporations whose business interests are heavily influenced by the administration and its decisions.”
The Democrats warn that the list of donors published by the administration “raises troubling questions about the risks of influence peddling and other forms of corruption.”
Among the 37 donors are tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. Other companies include Altria, Coinbase, Lockheed Martin, Palantir Technologies, and T-Mobile. Individual donors include Stephen Brody, Harold Hamm, Benjamin Lyon Jr., Konstantin Sokolov, Stephen Schwarzman, and the twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, prominent figures in the cryptocurrency sector.
Democratic senators have requested a full accounting of all donations made to the Ballroom, including the terms of their distribution, to assess any potential conflicts of interest or illegal activity.
The senators wrote: “The lack of transparency in this system reinforces concerns that President Trump is selling off his presidential powers to individuals or entities, including foreign nationals and corporations, with interests in federal affairs, while enriching himself and his family.”
They noted that many of the prominent donors mentioned have “ongoing business relationships with the federal government in the form of contracts, pending regulatory approvals, litigation, and enforcement proceedings.”
The lawmakers also asserted that some companies have recently been awarded federal contracts and warned that these circumstances “suggest blatant corruption,” as companies seek to improve their relationships with the government.
The senators are requesting information on the amount of each donor’s contributions and the circumstances under which those contributions were made. They also want to know which donors have contracts or are bidding for contracts with the federal government, as well as any pending regulatory approvals.
They also raised questions about who advises the president on accepting donations, whether the administration sought ethical advice, and whether safeguards exist to prevent donors from gaining undue access to Trump.
The twelve senators are requesting information by November 5, but it seems unlikely the Trump administration will meet that deadline.
As the government shutdown continues, claiming the project costs taxpayers nothing.
“Democrats are more interested in President Trump’s historic White House renovation than in the American people suffering the consequences of their irresponsible government shutdown,” White House spokesman Davis Engel said in a statement.
He emphasized that Trump is working tirelessly to make the White House “more beautiful.”
The senators’ letter is the latest in a series of requests for information they have made.
Last week, Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee wrote to the president expressing their concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the ballroom renovation and demanding access to all communications and documents related to the project.
