Warren, Garcia Press National Park Service on Key Role in Trump Ballroom Fundraising

Warren, Garcia Press National Park Service on Key Role in Trump Ballroom Fundraising

Members of Congress ask whether NPS is facilitating corruption

Lawmakers cite concerns that ballroom funding structure possibly designed to evade judicial review, NPS may be violating its own donation rules

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, pressed National Park Service (NPS) Comptroller Jessica Bowron on whether the agency has helped facilitate corruption involving Trump's $400 million ballroom project, given NPS's key role in the project and new information about the ballroom project and its donors.

"Congress and the American public deserve clear answers regarding NPS's role in this project," wrote the lawmakers.

In October, shortly after President Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for his ballroom, Senator Warren led lawmakers in a letter inquiring about NPS's role in the project. NPS dodged the lawmakers' questions, refusing to provide critical information to the public.

Since then, new information has revealed NPS to be managing private donations through its philanthropic partner, the Trust for the National Mall; coordinating extensively with the White House; and even transferring at least one private donation to the White House.

In new responses to lawmakers earlier this month, the Trust underscored NPS's involvement, indicating the ballroom is a "priority" for NPS. The NPS Liaison to the White House said in a recent court declaration that the ballroom project entails "extensive coordination" with NPS and that NPS has devoted staff resources to the ballroom since early last year. Multiple corporate ballroom donors referenced NPS when asserting that their donations aligned with their past support for the National Mall and other public works projects.

"Given the seriousness of these corruption concerns and new information that has been revealed as the project moves forward, we reiterate our request for information necessary to fulfill Congress's oversight responsibilities," wrote the lawmakers.

Senator Warren and Representative Garcia cited concerns that the ballroom's funding structure may have been designed to evade judicial review - concerns raised by a judge last month, who called it a "Rube Goldberg contraption." The lawmakers also sounded the alarm on the fact that NPS may be violating its own agency's donation rules, which prohibit implied commitments, preferential treatment, and donor influence.

"NPS's role in managing President Trump's gold-encrusted ballroom is particularly troubling in light of NPS's donation rules," wrote the lawmakers. The letter references NPS Director's Order #21, which prohibits any preferential treatment or donor influence over agency decision-making.

The members pressed for answers to key questions about the total amount of private funds that have been accepted, what regulatory or ethics reviews were conducted before accepting private donations, and more.

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