Letter comes after Trump demolished the White House’s historic East Wing 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined fellow Senate Judiciary Democrat Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in launching a new push for answers into the financing of President Trump’s White House ballroom, which includes private donations from individuals and corporations whose business interests are directly impacted by the Administration and its decisions.  

In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following the recent release of a list of donors, the Senators emphasize that the Trump Administration’s approach to financing the ballroom raises troubling questions about the potential for influence peddling and other forms of corruption.   

“To assess possible conflicts of interest and violations of law and ethics obligations, Congress and the American public deserve meaningful transparency. We, therefore, request a complete accounting of all donations to the White House ballroom construction project, including the conditions under which contributions were made,” wrote the lawmakers.   

The Senators are requesting all information related to the ballroom’s financing, including the amount of each financial contribution, which donors have existing business with the federal government—including applications for federal contracts, ongoing litigation, and pending regulatory approvals. The Senators are also seeking information about whether the President or any Executive Branch official sought guidance from ethics officials on whether it is permissible to accept private donations, and about any guardrails the Administration put in place to ensure donors don’t have unfair access to the President or members of his Administration as a result of their contribution to the ballroom.  

“Among these donors are corporations recently awarded federal contracts worth millions of dollars in revenue, many with close ties to Administration officials. These circumstances risk blatant corruption as these companies and their stakeholders seek to position themselves in the government’s good graces,” the lawmakers continued.   

In addition to Senators Welch and Schiff, the letter was cosigned by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.). 

Read and download the full text of the Senators’ letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.  

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