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.
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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.”
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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.