Overview
- The 14-page fundraising contract, published Tuesday after a Public Citizen lawsuit, details how private money will finance President Trump’s East Wing rebuild and new state ballroom.
- The document allows donors to stay unnamed and requires only limited vetting tied to the Interior Department, leaving the White House outside the conflict review that watchdogs say is needed.
- The Trust for the National Mall manages the gifts and keeps a 2.5% fee on the first $200 million raised and 2% above that, in a multi-step setup a federal judge labeled a “Rube Goldberg contraption.”
- Judge Richard Leon ordered above‑ground work paused pending explicit approval from Congress, then an appeals court allowed construction to continue during the case with a temporary stay in place until at least early June.
- The $400 million plan replaces the East Wing with a roughly 90,000‑square‑foot venue and related spaces, demolition began in October 2025, the White House says about $300 million is pledged, and lawmakers have proposed banning anonymous gifts for projects on White House grounds.