Millions in donations unaccounted for after disastrous Freedom 250 festivities: watchdog

Newly released documents suggest taxpayers covered most of the cost of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 celebrations, leaving unanswered where tens of millions of dollars in private donations went, according to The Washington Sun.

The watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) released the records Thursday.

A National Park Foundation estimate put the cost of key events, including the much maligned Great American State FairGreat American State Fair, the Patriot Games and the Independence Day celebration on the National Mall, at $128.5 million, PEER said. The document anticipated $114.2 million in federal funding, which the Sun reported leaves a funding gap of about $14 million.

The Sun reported that the estimate did not appear to list "any private donations."

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that Freedom 250 raised more than $50 million from private sources. Lobbying disclosures reviewed by the outlet Sludge show companies including Chevron, United Airlines and RTX gave up to several million dollars each, the Sun reported. The administration "has not disclosed the donors, the amounts or how the money was spent," according to the report.

“Public servants and the American people deserve transparency and accountability for how their tax dollars were spent,” said PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse, who urged Congress to hold hearings.

A Freedom 250 spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the organization was proud to have united Americans through its events. Sources familiar with the planning told the Sun that organizers are still reconciling costs and that PEER’s documents don’t “represent reality.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from The Sun.