Amazon also admitted that it was in touch with fundraisers months before the White House released its list of donors in October.
Amazon also admitted that it was in touch with fundraisers months before the White House released its list of donors in October.
The Trump administration approached Microsoft for its donation to fund the White House’s $300 million ballroom, documents released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) office reveal.
In response to a Democrat-led letter questioning Big Tech’s involvement in the ballroom’s construction, Microsoft counsel Karen Christian writes that the company “was contacted by a fundraiser for the effort regarding a possible donation” around two months after President Donald Trump announced plans to replace the White House’s East Wing with a privately funded ballroom.
“At that time, Microsoft was provided information concerning the Trust for the National Mall’s management of contributions for this project as a partner of the National Park Service, instructions on how to donate, and an invitation to attend a dinner held for supporters of the project, which Microsoft attended,” Christian says.
In another letter, Amazon’s vice president of public policy, Brian Huseman, similarly admitted that the e-commerce giant “communicated with the fundraising group working on the project beginning in August 2025.” Huseman added that Amazon “did not review any construction plans or enter into an agreement related to the donation.”
Meanwhile, Comcast’s letter says the company “pledged an unrestricted donation to the Trust for the National Mall,” with “no specific limitations or conditions on how the proceeds were to be used or spent.” It also says it “made the donation with no expectations of receiving anything in return.”
The letters written by other companies, including Meta, Nvidia, and Apple, didn’t reveal much about the donation process. Apple’s government affairs head, Tim Powderly, for example, writes that the donation was “handled ethically, honestly, and in full compliance with the law.”
Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.
