Copyright Anchorage Daily News
Democrats are expanding their probes into President Donald Trump’s demolition of the East Wing and construction of his planned ballroom, with lawmakers pressing the White House and outside companies to explain the project’s finances and what was promised to contributors. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) and colleagues on Tuesday demanded that the White House provide a “complete accounting” of how it is paying for the ballroom, including any terms for donors. Trump said Friday that he had raised more than $350 million to pay for the project, and the White House has said that at least three dozen companies and private individuals have helped fund it. “The opaque nature of this scheme reinforces concern that President Trump is again selling presidential access to individuals or entities, including foreign nationals and corporate actors, with vested interests in federal action,” Schiff wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in a letter shared with The Washington Post. Schiff, a frequent critic of the president, also sent his request to the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan watchdog that conducts oversight of the executive branch. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) separately sent letters Tuesday to contractors involved in the White House construction project, including McCrery Architects, Clark Construction and engineering firm AECOM, questioning the “rapidly changing and secretive terms” of Trump’s planned ballroom. The letters were also shared with The Post. Trump said in July that the ballroom would cost about $200 million and hold 650 guests, estimates that he increased last week to $300 million and nearly 1,000, respectively. The ballroom donors include defense and tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Lockheed Martin and Meta, which frequently have business before the administration. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.) Lawmakers said they were frustrated that the White House had neither consulted Congress nor received approval from at least two relevant federal commissions before rapidly demolishing the East Wing last week. “I don’t know where I can go to find the information. I can’t find any accessible drawings. I can’t find a permit,” said Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Mississippi), the top Democrat of the House Committee on Homeland Security. “And then I see a bulldozer tearing down the east side of the White House.” Thompson also sent letters Friday to ballroom donors demanding answers on their involvement. Blumenthal and the top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Oversight committees opened their own probes last week. Many donors have declined to comment on the project or referred questions to the White House, which said it has been transparent and claims that Trump is doing a service by soliciting donors to pay for the ballroom. “The same critics who are wrongly claiming there are conflicts of interests, would complain if taxpayers were footing the bill,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “The donors for the White House ballroom project represent a wide array of great American companies and generous individuals, all of whom are contributing to make the People’s House better for generations to come.” The project’s contractors also have declined to comment. A representative for McCrery Architects on Tuesday referred questions about the project to the White House. Clark Construction and AECOM did not respond to requests for comment. Trump has touted the ballroom as a long-overdue addition to the White House grounds, but the swift teardown of the East Wing sparked backlash from preservationists, Democrats and some conservative commentators. Outside watchdogs have also focused on whether the president’s pursuit of private donations has created potential conflicts of interest. Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer advocacy organization, asked whether donors are seeking to purchase influence with the Trump administration by contributing to the president’s pet project. “It would be preposterous to imagine they’re making their donations out of a sense of civic pride,” Weissman said. A pair of YouGov polls last week found that about half of Americans oppose the demolition of the East Wing and about a quarter support it, with the remainder undecided. There is more support for Trump’s plan to tap donors to fund his ballroom project: a YouGov survey conducted Thursday found that 52 percent of Americans said White House renovations should be paid for by private donors to save taxpayer money, compared to 19 percent who said the renovations should be paid for by taxpayers to prevent donor influence. The White House is positioning to expedite agency review of Trump’s ballroom, his planned triumphal arch and other projects. Officials on Tuesday fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency charged by Congress with reviewing design matters related to government construction projects. A White House official said that the terminated members, who were appointed by former president Joe Biden, would soon be replaced with a slate of appointees aligned with Trump’s agenda. The White House earlier this year also fired Biden appointees on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Capital Planning Commission, two more agencies that traditionally play a role in construction projects at the White House. The National Capital Planning Commission, which is now led by a top Trump ally, is expected to review his ballroom plans soon. “The Trump administration continues to run roughshod over the agencies that Congress empowered to protect our historic places,” said Sara Bronin, who chaired the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation before stepping down in December. Trump officials and outside allies have countered that Biden moved to replace board members at those agencies, establishing a precedent. They also said Democrats’ scrutiny on the ballroom project is misplaced, particularly during the government shutdown. “President Trump is working 24/7 on behalf of the American people and simultaneously making the White House even more beautiful – at no expense to the taxpayer, by the way,” said Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman. “Democrats could learn a thing or two from his leadership.” - - -
