Wyden, Colleagues Slam Trump Ballroom “Vehicle for Politicized Fundraising, Influence Peddling, and Donor Access”

Wyden, Colleagues Slam Trump Ballroom "Vehicle for Politicized Fundraising, Influence Peddling, and Donor Access"

Lawmakers press National Park Service, Trust for the National Mall, on role in possible corrupt access to, and favor-seeking from, Donald Trump and his administration

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and four colleagues today pressed National Park Service Comptroller Jessica Bowron, and President and Trust for the National Mall Chief Executive Officer Catherine Townsend on how their organizations have seemingly become a vehicle for politicized fundraising, influence peddling, and donor access to Donald Trump, amid his effort to pay for and build his $300 million ballroom at the White House.

The new letter comes shortly after Trump demolished the entire East Wing of the White House to make room for his billionaire-funded ballroom.

"We are concerned about the risk of quid-pro-quo arrangements in which large corporations get backroom favors from the White House and President Trump gets his multi-million-dollar ballroom - all while American families face rising prices during a government shutdown," wrote Wyden and his Senate colleagues. "The American public deserves answers about the circumstances surrounding the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, about President Trump's attempts to build a gold-plated $300 million ballroom, and about whether the Trust is being used to facilitate corruption in the form of corporate special interests' insider access to the White House."

The Trust was established as a nonpartisan, nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. But the scale of funds raised for Trump's ballroom, Trump's personal involvement in fundraising for the project, and the number of corporate donors with business before the Trump administration raise questions about whether the organization is facilitating corrupt access to and favor-seeking from Trump and his administration.

Giant corporate donors have lined up to fund Trump's new ballroom, with all contributions reportedly being overseen by the Trust. Many of those corporations have active business interests before the Trump administration, raising serious ethics concerns. Just last month, YouTube settled a lawsuit brought by Trump by agreeing to provide $22 million to the Trust for the ballroom project. Google is in the midst of active antitrust litigation against Trump's Department of Justice and could benefit if the department decides not to continue its legal fight with Google. Similar potential conflicts exist with other large corporations that Trump reportedly courted for donations at last week's glitzy ballroom donor dinner.

"The circumstances surrounding President Trump's ballroom raise questions about whether the Trust's philanthropic structure is being abused to facilitate special interest access to the Trump Administration and influence-peddling by giant corporations," wrote the lawmakers.

The senators pressed for answers to key questions about the exact agreements in place regarding the building of the ballroom, the source and amount of donations, whether the donations are charitable deductions, and more.

The entire letter led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is here.

In addition to Wyden, other signers are U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.)