When Trump released the list of donors paying for his 90,000-square-foot, $300 million Epstein Memorial ballroom — and the demolition of the East Wing to build it — Senator Richard Blumenthal had some questions.
How much did these billionaires give? Who approached them? Are they expecting something in return? Are they lobbying for other perks?
He sent letters to more than 30 known donors. The responses, obtained by HuffPost, are predictably evasive.
Apple, Amazon, and Meta said their donations are simply another example of corporate philanthropy. None said how much they gave or who they worked with.
Meta — without apparent irony — claimed it's financing the project because it cares about "preserving the White House grounds." (Trump razed the entire East Wing.)
Booz Allen, a major government contractor, hailed the White House as "a symbol of American democracy" that it's proud to support. Again: the building Trump partially demolished.
Google was the only company to disclose its donation amount ($22 million), and only because it was already public — part of a settlement after Trump was banned from YouTube following January 6.
Most donors insisted they're following all laws and definitely not buying favors. JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, notably, said his company won't be donating because they're "quite conscious of risks we bear by doing anything that looks like, you know, buying favors or anything like that."
Previously:
• Senators to scrutinize the Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Ballroom
• Here are the 37 cowardly companies funding Trump's $300 million Epstein Ballroom
• Amazon, Google, Apple and others seeking government favors pay for Trump's $200,000,000 ballroom
• 'It is what it is': Coinbase shrugs off 'donation' to the Epstein Memorial ballroom
• Rest assured, Trump's top priority is The Great Ballroom of People Who Can Afford the Cover Charge
