Trump ballroom deal shields donor identities, limits conflict safeguards, contract shows

Newly released documents show the Trump administration set up a legal framework allowing hundreds of millions of ​dollars in anonymous private donations to fund a planned White House ballroom, while limiting the scope of federal conflict-of-interest ‌reviews tied to the project.

The agreement — signed in October between the White House, the National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall — lays out the legal and financial framework for a roughly $400 million project that would mark the most significant change to the White House complex in decades.

The contract ‌permits ⁠donors to remain anonymous and includes provisions restricting the disclosure of their identities, according to the document. It also establishes a review process for potential conflicts of interest involving the Park Service and Interior Department, but does not apply similar requirements to the White House or the president.

The planned ballroom would dwarf other parts of the White House campus, with administration officials describing a roughly 90,000-square-foot structure capable of hosting large-scale ​state events and receptions.