Blumenthal Probes No-Bid Contract Awarded to Trump’s Hand-Picked Company to Paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as Project Cost Balloons to $13.1 Million

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), is seeking answers about troubling no-bid contracts awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings (Atlantic Industrial) to paint the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue as demanded by President Trump. In a letter sent today to Curtis E. Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Industrial, Blumental raised concerns after recent reporting from

"Reports detail that, like so many of President Trump's recent vanity projects, costs on this restoration have ballooned, rising from the $1.8 million President Trump promised publicly to $13.1 million as of May 8, 2027. These reports have also highlighted that Atlantic Industrial has never before been awarded a federal contract and has no discernable history of handling projects similar to the Reflecting Pool, instead boasting a website detailing that Atlantic Industrial 'specializes in waterproofing highway culverts, pipes, roofs and chemical and water storage tanks,'" Blumenthal wrote.

Blumenthal continued, "The ballooning payments to Atlantic Industrial and Atlantic Industrial's lack of any obvious qualifications for the Reflecting Pool project raise troubling questions about whether excess taxpayer dollars are (yet again) being diverted to President Trump's manifestly unqualified friends and associates."

"The American people deserve to know whether excess taxpayer dollars are being used-without the authorization of Congress-to reward the President's preferred partners and desecrate national landmarks," Blumenthal concluded.

As Ranking Member of PSI, Blumenthal has led an inquiry into President Trump's pet projects, including the White House ballroom. As part of this inquiry, Blumenthal has written to the project's lead architect, construction firm, and engineering firm, and pressed Clark Construction, the firm selected to build the ballroom, for details after it was awarded a no-bid contract to make repairs to the public fountains in Lafayette Square across the street from the White House.

The full text of Blumenthal's letter to Atlantic Industrial is available here and below.

Dear Mr. Wood:

I write regarding troubling new reports concerning a no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, LLC ("Atlantic Industrial") to paint the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue-a color it has never before been painted while serving as the backdrop to our nation's 250-year history.^[1] Reports detail that, like so many of President Trump's recent vanity projects, costs on this restoration have ballooned, rising from the $1.8 million President Trump promised publicly to $13.1 million as of May 8, 2027.^[2] These reports have also highlighted that Atlantic Industrial has never before been awarded a federal contract and has no discernable history of handling projects similar to the Reflecting Pool, instead boasting a website detailing that Atlantic Industrial "specializes in waterproofing highway culverts, pipes, roofs and chemical and water storage tanks."^[3] The ballooning payments to Atlantic Industrial and Atlantic Industrial's lack of any obvious qualifications for the Reflecting Pool project raise troubling questions about whether excess taxpayer dollars are (yet again) being diverted to President Trump's manifestly unqualified friends and associates.

The background details regarding this contract continue to be especially confusing and demand a public inquiry. First, new reports detail that these ballooning costs apparently match the exact amount requested by Atlantic Industrial from the beginning. Specifically, although President Trump told the public that the project would only cost $1.8 million, Atlantic Industrial reportedly submitted a proposal to the government last month that matched the current contract's value down to the dollar and included a 20 percent profit margin.^[4] Second, just days ago President Trump suddenly claimed he had no relationship with Atlantic Industrial after having last month claimed that the firm had been hired for this work because he had a "guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools" who could renovate the Reflecting Pool.^[5]

The American people deserve to know whether excess taxpayer dollars are being used-without the authorization of Congress-to reward the President's preferred partners and desecrate national landmarks. To assist the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in its inquiry, please preserve all documents, records,^[6] and communications^[7] related to your firm's participation in the renovation of Lafayette Park, and please provide specific responses to the following questions by May 28, 2026:

1. Have you entered into any agreement, formal or informal, to receive work from the federal government at above market prices in exchange for a reduced fee for work on the Reflecting Pool?
2. How did you become aware of the opportunity to participate in renovations to the Reflective Pool?
3. Did you participate in a competitive or otherwise open bidding process prior to being selected for the renovations to the Reflecting Pool? Please describe the nature of this process.
4. Did you submit any materials as a part of the bidding process or prior to being selected to participate in the renovations to the Reflecting Pool Please provide all materials that you submitted.
5. What are the terms of the agreement(s) you entered regarding the renovations to the Reflecting Pool? Please provide a copy of any and all agreements you have entered into with the National Park Service, the White House, or any other federal government entity as part of your work on renovations to the Reflecting Pool.
6. Please produce all cost estimates for the renovations to the Reflecting Pool Park prepared to date. To the extent that cost projections change over time, please provide updates on a monthly basis through completion of the project.
7. When were the initial plans for the renovations to the Reflecting Pool submitted and approved?
8. Have you conducted any formal reviews regarding how changing the bottom color will alter the Reflecting Pool's appearance?
9. 1. If so, please provide any records regarding this review.
10. Has Atlantic Industrial previously completed any projects similar to the renovations to the Reflecting Pool?
11. 1. If so, please provide a detailed description of each project, your company's role, and the date or estimated date of completion.
12. Since 2010, have you and/or any of your subsidiaries or affiliates participated in the construction of any properties owned or licensed by The Trump Organization, Inc., or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries, or do you have plans to bid on or otherwise participate in the construction of any Trump-affiliated properties?
13. 1. If so, please list each project and include your company's role, the date or estimated date of completion, and how much your company was or will be compensated in total for its participation.

Please contact the Subcommittee if you have any questions about responding to these requests.

Sincerely,

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