Contract reveals fundraising deal for Trump's East Wing overhaul

Washington — A recently revealed statement betwixt the White House, the National Park Service and the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall shows the interior workings of however President Trump and his allies are financing a $400 cardinal overhaul of the White House East Wing.

The 14-page document, which was obtained by the left-leaning advocacy radical Public Citizen and shared with CBS News, empowers the Trust to "accept donations successful an magnitude capable to screen each costs" of the project, arsenic determined by the White House. The statement was signed by the parties successful October 2025.

The statement says that the Trust stands to person a 2.5% interest connected funds collected for the project, which CBS News reported soon aft it was signed. That interest dips to 2% for immoderate wealth raised successful excess of $200 million. President Trump has said the $400 cardinal renovation is afloat financed, meaning the Trust stands to output astir $9 million.

Public Citizen sued to get the papers nether the Freedom of Information Act.

"This is the archetypal clip we don't person to instrumentality the connection of the White House — we tin spot details of this strategy successful achromatic and white," said Jon Golinger, a ideology advocator for the group.

The statement ensures that each parties progressive volition "preserve the anonymity and privateness of immoderate donor who wishes to stay anonymous." So far, the White House has provided the names of astir 3 twelve idiosyncratic and firm donors, but declined to accidental however overmuch each has given.

Under the October arrangement, the White House is liable for "identify[ing] imaginable donors for the Project connected behalf of the NPS" and referring them to the Trust, portion specifying "whether the imaginable donor wishes to donate anonymously."

"This papers reveals that anonymous donations are the bosom of this agreement," Golinger said.

"As required by instrumentality and modular philanthropic champion practices, the Trust shares the names of donors to the Trust successful our yearly interaction report, connected our website, and successful our IRS 990 taxation filings," a spokesperson for the Trust said. "Some donors whitethorn privation to stay anonymous and we respect donor wishes, portion successful compliance with each applicable laws and regulations."

The spokesperson emphasized the Trust's relation is constricted to managing donations and it has nary manus successful the design, planning, operation oregon execution of the project.

Foreign donors are prohibited from giving. For donations successful excess of $25,000, the Trust is liable for making "reasonable efforts to determine" whether the donor has pending litigation involving the Interior Department oregon is "engaged successful oregon seeking a concern oregon licence relationship" with the NPS. 

Nothing successful the declaration prevents contributions from donors who person concern earlier different components of the national government. Amazon, for instance, donated to the task and has billions successful national contracts.

Fundraisers began soliciting contributions astir a period earlier the Trust signed the statement with the administration. Potential donors received pledge forms astir Sept. 15, 2025, but the declaration with the White House wasn't afloat signed until Oct. 8. 

The mid-September pledge signifier made nary notation of the 90,000-square-foot East Wing makeover. It said lone that donations "shall beryllium utilized successful enactment of the White House Ballroom." The October contract, though, specifies that donations are to beryllium utilized for the "funding needs for the East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom task astatine the White House." 

Demolition crews began dismantling the East Wing connected Oct. 20, contempt the president's earlier committedness that the summation would not "interfere with the existent building." A White House authoritative said successful January that structural instability, h2o harm and mold made tearing down the gathering the astir cost-efficient option.  

In summation to the caller ballroom, the plan plans telephone for bureau space, a movie theater, room and a two-story colonnade connecting the facilities to the main White House building. An underground bunker volition besides location delicate subject and aesculapian infrastructure.

The statement does not notation the underground construction, indicating that those components volition apt beryllium refurbished utilizing payer dollars. White House officials person yet to specify however overmuch the below-grade modernization volition cost.

A White House authoritative said the East Wing declaration has not been changed since it was signed successful October.

The Trust has been a longstanding philanthropic spouse of the NPS and has antecedently collaborated with the White House connected smaller operation projects similar the tennis pavilion and upgrades to the Rose Garden.

Late past week, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a halt to above-ground operation until the East Wing overhaul gets legislature approval. But an appellate tribunal has since allowed operation to proceed until astatine slightest aboriginal June.

Leon has besides questioned the backing mechanism, which calls connected the Trust to cod hundreds of millions successful backstage donations and crook the wealth implicit to the NPS, which past hands it disconnected to the White House. Leon described the statement arsenic a "Rube Goldberg contraption" successful a caller ruling.