'Ballroom bribery': Democrats hit Trump with bill for White House renovation

Democrats are hoping to introduce a bill that would bring transparency to Donald Trump's White House renovation project.

The "Stop Ballroom Bribery Act" has been sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Robert Garcia, the latter from the House Oversight Committee. The bill is aiming to put guardrails around private donations to fund construction on White House grounds.

The ballroom, which is being created on the East Wing and was announced earlier this year by the White House, will cost roughly $200 million, with the president and "other patriot donors" making the cash available for the project.

A statement from the White House reads, "President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications."

The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said, “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”

But a bill from Democrats could see some fierce opposition to the use of private donors to fund fixes and renovations to the White House building. Warren said, "Americans shouldn't have to wonder whether President Trump is building a ballroom to facilitate a pay-to-play scheme for political favor."

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal also warned the president had put a "for sale" sign on the White House. He said, "President Trump has put a 'for sale' sign on the White House—soliciting hundreds of millions of dollars from special interests to fund his $300 million vanity project. Our measure is a direct response to Trump's ballroom boondoggle."

The "Stop Ballroom Bribery Act" would prevent donations from businesses or individuals with business before the government, including those facing federal litigation or enforcement actions, CNN has reported. It would also ban the display of donor names, bar the donor from remaining anonymous and introduce a two-year "cooling off" period where donors would be prohibited from lobbying the government.