Copyright MassLive
By Jonathan Edwards Many publicly identified donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom have high-stakes business before the administration, ranging from billions in contracts to federal investigations of their companies, according to a report released Monday by a government watchdog group. More than half of the companies that donated are facing or have recently faced federal enforcement actions tied to alleged wrongdoing, ranging from engaging in unfair labor practices to deceiving consumers and harming the environment, according to the report from Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization. The nonprofit, founded in 1971 by left-leaning political activist Ralph Nader, focuses on corporate money and influence in government. The analysis focused on more than three dozen corporate and individual donors the Trump administration has disclosed. It found the group has received $279 billion in government contracts over the past five years and spent $1.6 billion in political contributions and lobbying fees during that time. The list contains heavyweights in the tech, financial and defense sectors, including Google, Comcast and Lockheed Martin. The report adds to concerns voiced in recent weeks by Democratic lawmakers and preservationists who have questioned the deal’s financing and Trump’s demolition of the East Wing to make room for his 90,000-square-foot project. Many of the donors identified by the White House - including Altria Group, Amazon and Apple - have previously donated to Trump’s inauguration fund or other GOP initiatives. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) “They have massive interests before the federal government and they hope to undoubtedly curry favor with, and receive favorable treatment from, the Trump administration,” Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman said in a statement. “Millions to fund Trump’s architectural whims are nothing compared to the billions at stake in procurement, regulatory and enforcement decisions.” Only two companies named in the report, Lockheed Martin and Nvidia, responded to requests for comment. None disclosed the amount given to Trump’s project. “We maintain strong working relationships with every Administration to ensure our armed forces and allies are equipped with the most advanced technologies to deter and defeat evolving threats,” a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the company adheres to laws and regulations governing its engagement with the federal government. The White House said Monday that the administration has been transparent and that soliciting private donations takes the burden off taxpayers. “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.” Fourteen of the two dozen publicly named corporate donors face federal enforcement actions or have had such actions suspended by Trump administration officials since the start of his second term, the report states. They include Amazon, which the Justice Department accused of fraudulently concealing worker injuries, and Apple, which benefited in September when the National Labor Relations Board withdrew its claims that the company had violated workers’ rights, the report states. The White House donor list was not comprehensive, Public Citizen noted, which limited the scope of the review. CBS News has identified three corporate donors who were not on the list, and the New York Times reported Trump’s fundraisers have been circulating donation pledge forms that give people the option of withholding their identities from public disclosure. The White House told the Times that officials will disclose the identities of donors “who wish to be named publicly,” but that others “have the option to remain anonymous and we will honor that if that’s what they choose.” U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and his colleagues last week demanded the White House provide a “complete accounting” of how it is paying for the ballroom, including any deals with donors. U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security, said he didn’t know which official or agency to consult to get more information about the project. Lawmakers expressed frustration that the White House didn’t consult Congress or seek approval from at least two relevant federal commissions before demolishing the East Wing in three days. “I can’t find any accessible drawings. I can’t find a permit,” Thompson said. “And then I see a bulldozer tearing down the east side of the White House.” On July 31, the White House announced the ballroom project, which Trump promised at the time wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing building. On-site work started in September with crews cutting down trees and digging up parts of the South Lawn. On Oct. 21, demolition crews started tearing down the East Wing and, within three days, had turned the annex into rubble. Trump has promised to finish the building before he leaves office. When it announced the project, the administration said the ballroom would cost about $200 million and hold 650 guests ― estimates Trump increased late last month to $300 million and nearly 1,000 people. Americans oppose the demolition of the annex to make way for the ballroom building by a 2-to-1 margin, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released last week.
