Congressional Democrats have written at least eight letters seeking information about President Trump’s $300 million ballroom project. So far, those oversight requests have yielded few substantive responses from the administration and a nonprofit involved in the project.
The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, received no response to his letter seeking architectural plans, budgets and a donor list, according to committee staffers.
Sen. Adam Schiff has been similarly ignored. His letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles regarding donors and ethics concerns went unanswered.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts sought details around the ballroom’s financing. In a letter to the National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall, Warren requested the “source and amount of any donations or pledges” and questioned the ballooning cost of the project.
Catherine Townsend, president and CEO of the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, responded to Warren in a letter, explaining that the Trust “is managing the private donations gifted to support the project,” but it’s not involved in the ballroom’s planning or design.
Townsend said the trust complies with federal nonprofit laws but “donor names and identifying information are not subject to public disclosure…and we strictly adhere to those confidentiality requirements to protect our donors’ privacy.”
The National Park Service did not reply to Warren’s inquiry, according to her office. Townsend referred further questions to the White House.
“If the Trust for the National Mall has become a tool for favor-seeking between billionaires and the President of the United States, the American people deserve to know,” Warren said. “I’ll keep pushing to find out if the Trust is facilitating wink-and-nod arrangements between Trump and his billionaire ballroom donors — and what these donors are getting in return.”
Democrats lack subpoena power, so their letters amount to requests for information. The White House may volunteer information in response, but it’s under no legal obligation to comply. It was not immediately clear whether the government shutdown has impacted the White House’s ability to respond to congressional outreach.
Last week, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and 59 House Democrats asked the White House to explain its efforts to preserve artifacts in the now-demolished East Wing.
A spokesperson for Raskin said the congressman received no response from the White House by Thursday’s deadline.
A White House spokesperson had no comment when asked about complying with Democratic oversight.