TLDR:
- Billionaires have donated over $350 million for Trump’s planned White House ballroom, with defense contractors among the donors raising quid pro quo concerns.
- Legal experts say a $130 million anonymous donation to pay troops during a shutdown likely violated federal spending laws.
- JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon refused to donate, citing concerns about appearances of “buying favors.”
- Tech giants Apple, Amazon and Google joined defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Palantir on the ballroom donor list, prompting questions about favorable treatment.
President Trump has attracted billionaire funding for his projects at an unprecedented level, but the donations are raising serious legal and ethical red flags.
Over $350 million poured in from 37 individuals and corporations to fund Mr. Trump’s planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The donor list includes defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton and Palantir Technologies, along with tech giants Apple, Amazon and Google.
“The ballroom is the biggest concern,” said Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. “With this ballroom getting all these donors who are military contractors, it gives the impression that they’re going to get access to military contracts in return.”
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon declined to donate, saying his company must “be very careful about how anything is perceived.”
Legal experts also flagged a $130 million anonymous donation from billionaire Timothy Mellon to pay troops during October’s government shutdown, saying it likely violated the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending funds beyond appropriations.
“The billionaires are trying to get influence,” Mr. Painter said.
Read more:
• Trump attracts America’s billionaires to bankroll policies and projects
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
