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A majority of corporate donors backing President Donald Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project have major business interests before his administration — including government contracts, regulatory decisions, and federal investigations — according to a new report released Monday by Public Citizen, a nonprofit watchdog group.
The analysis found that more than half of the identified companies donating to the project are facing or recently faced federal enforcement actions over alleged wrongdoing such as labor violations, consumer deception, or environmental harm.
“These donors have massive interests before the federal government and undoubtedly hope to curry favor and receive favorable treatment from the Trump administration,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. “Millions to fund Trump’s architectural whims are nothing compared to the billions at stake in procurement, regulatory, and enforcement decisions.”
Donors tied to billions in contracts and lobbying
Public Citizen examined 39 known corporate and individual donors disclosed by the Trump administration — plus three later identified by news outlets — and found that collectively they have received $279 billion in federal contracts and spent $1.6 billion on political contributions and lobbying over the past five years.
The list includes corporate heavyweights Google, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, Apple, Amazon, and Altria Group, several of which have previously donated to Trump’s inaugural fund or Republican causes.
Only Lockheed Martin, Nvidia, and Microsoft responded to media inquiries about their donations, declining to disclose how much they gave. Mr. Trump reportedly told donors at a White House dinner last month that some had contributed as much as $25 million.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it maintains “strong working relationships with every administration” and complies with all federal laws governing its engagement with the government.
White House defends transparency and private funding
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed allegations of conflicts of interest, arguing that private donations reduce taxpayer costs.
“The same critics who are wrongly claiming there are conflicts of interest would complain if taxpayers were footing the bill,” Leavitt said. “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.”
The Trump administration has said the $300 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom will seat nearly 1,000 guests and be completed before the end of the president’s term. The project, which involved demolishing the East Wing in just three days, has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers and preservationists who say it bypassed Congress and relevant federal commissions.
Lawmakers seek full accounting
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) have demanded a full accounting of the project’s financing, including donor arrangements. Thompson said he had been unable to locate permits or architectural drawings, adding, “And then I see a bulldozer tearing down the east side of the White House.”
Public Citizen’s Weissman argued that public buildings should be funded by public money, not private donors with vested interests. “If the White House is ‘the People’s House,’ then construction should be paid for by the people — not by corporations and billionaires who have something to gain,” he said.
Federal enforcement actions and anonymous donors
According to the report, 14 of the 24 publicly named corporate donors are involved in ongoing or recently suspended federal enforcement actions. The list includes Amazon, which the Justice Department accused of concealing workplace injuries, and Apple, which benefited when the National Labor Relations Board withdrew a workers’ rights complaint in September.
The watchdog group also noted that the White House donor list is incomplete. The New York Times reported that Trump fundraisers circulated pledge forms allowing donors to remain anonymous — a policy the White House confirmed it would honor.
Public Citizen urged companies to withdraw their donations, calling the project “ill-advised” and “rife with conflicts.”
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released last week found that Americans oppose the East Wing demolition by a 2-to-1 margin.
