Senator Elizabeth Warren has branded the private funding for Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom a “golden crime scene” and called for a Department of Justice investigation. The top Democrat on the Senate banking committee told the Guardian that the next independent DoJ “should investigate” the donations, urging authorities to “follow the money” to determine “whether any crimes were committed”. Warren noted that the five-year statute of limitations for federal bribery charges means a future justice department could still act.
The ballroom project, now costing $300 million, has seen the demolition of the entire East Wing. Donors include tech giants Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google; defence contractors Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin and Palantir; and telecoms firms T-Mobile and Comcast. Ethics experts warn that such donations could afford donors outsized influence or preferential treatment, given many already hold government contracts.
Warren has co-sponsored the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act with Representative Robert Garcia, which would impose donation restrictions, including a two-year “cooling off” period before donors can lobby the federal government, mandatory disclosure of meetings, and congressional approval for foreign donations. The bill also covers the vice-president’s residence, Camp David and Air Force One, but faces an uphill battle in Republican-controlled chambers.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the donations, saying critics “would complain if taxpayers were footing the bill” and that donors represent “a wide array of great American companies and generous individuals” contributing to the People’s House. JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon explained his firm’s refusal to finance the project, citing the need to avoid perceptions of buying favours and potential DoJ scrutiny.
