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Watchdog Flags $279 Billion in Federal Contracts to Trump Ballroom Donors

The new analysis heightens conflict-of-interest scrutiny, with lawmakers seeking a full donor accounting.

Overview

  • Public Citizen found disclosed donors to the White House ballroom received $279 billion in federal contracts over five years and spent $1.6 billion on lobbying and political contributions.
  • Fourteen of 24 publicly named corporate contributors are facing federal enforcement actions or recently saw actions suspended by the administration, according to the report.
  • Major tech, defense, finance and crypto backers are on the list, including Lockheed Martin, Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Coinbase, Ripple and Tether.
  • Donations flow through the Trust for the National Mall, which can shield identities, and the White House says it will disclose only donors who choose to be named.
  • The East Wing was demolished in October for a roughly 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom Trump now estimates at about $300 million, prompting preservation and ethics groups, as well as congressional Democrats, to press for oversight and full transparency.