Washington, D.C. — The executive branch’s decision to spend private, undisclosed money on government operations raise serious concerns about private influence on public services, underscoring the urgency of transparency and accountability. Recent announcements by the White House highlight two troubling trends.
The White House has begun demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom — a project projected to cost between $200 million and $300 million. This project is being funded by private donations, not taxpayer dollars. Past renovations of the White House have been funded by both public and private dollars, but none of them came close to the estimated costs of this project. While the White House has identified at least some of the donors, it has not released a comprehensive list of the amounts they have donated.
And this week, President Donald Trump announced that an unnamed but “very wealthy” private donor has offered to provide $130 million to cover military salaries amid the ongoing government shutdown. By working outside the federal appropriations process, the White House is creating the potential for individuals to hold unwarranted influence over the U.S. military and other government operations.
“When private money moves through government without transparency, from White House upgrades to military pay, it opens the door to hidden influence. First it’s calling off a National Guard deployment. Next it could be shaping public policy for personal gain. A government of the people must be transparent. The public has a right to know who’s paying, how much, and for what,” said Hilary Braseth, executive director of OpenSecrets.
OpenSecrets urges the following actions:
- Require full donor disclosure of any private funds used for government buildings, renovations, or programs — including names and amounts, as required for federal campaign donations and lobbying.
- Clarify and enforce rules around private funding of public roles (such as military pay) to ensure constitutional safeguards are maintained and public accountability remains intact.
- Public-access databases should clearly indicate when private dollars are influencing public programs, and the identities of the actors behind them.
“These scenarios show directly how private money is entering spaces that are inherently public, raising real risk of pay-for-play, undue influence, and weakened democratic infrastructure that can be controlled by the whims of wealthy interests,” Braseth said.
About OpenSecrets
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, OpenSecrets is the trusted authority on money in American politics. Its mission is to provide comprehensive and reliable data, analysis, and tools for policymakers, storytellers and citizens. Its vision is for Americans to use data on money in politics to create a more vibrant, representative and responsive democracy.
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