Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) vowed Thursday to continue investigating corporate donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom after a top Justice Department official accused him of intimidating Americans who support the president.
Blumenthal, the incoming chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, pushed back against a warning from Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, calling it an attempt by the Trump administration to discourage lawmakers from conducting constitutionally protected oversight.
“I will not be intimidated,” Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Reitz dated Wednesday. “I will work on behalf of the American people to vigorously pursue investigations into this Administration’s misuse of taxpayer dollars and any corporate entity that has enabled its boundless corruption.”
Reitz accused Blumenthal of using his congressional investigation to threaten people for associating with Trump and contributing to the ballroom project. In a letter posted to X on Wednesday, the prosecutor said the senator’s inquiry risked discouraging Americans from making philanthropic contributions.
“It is … extraordinary for an elected official to intimidate citizens for engaging in philanthropic practices that will benefit our nation for generations,” Reitz wrote. “The American people are entitled to freely associate without elected officials terrorizing them with aggressive, harassing government action.”
Reitz also directed Blumenthal to preserve records and communications related to his investigation, including materials that could be relevant to the senator’s efforts to obtain information from donors.
Blumenthal rejected the allegations, arguing that congressional investigations are a constitutional responsibility. The Connecticut Democrat turned the preservation demand back on the Justice Department, directing Reitz to retain all records and correspondence related to the decision to draft and publish his letter, including communications with the White House and senior DOJ officials.
The dispute stems from Blumenthal’s investigation into the financing of Trump’s planned White House ballroom, which the president has said will be funded through private donations. The project has attracted contributions from major corporations and wealthy individuals, prompting questions about whether donors could receive favorable treatment from the administration in return.
Blumenthal has sought information from companies about their contributions and whether donations were connected to government contracts, regulatory decisions, or the resolution of legal disputes. He has argued that the public deserves transparency about the circumstances surrounding the fundraising effort.
DOJ concerned Blumenthal ballroom investigation is threat against Trump supporters
The ballroom project has also faced a separate legal challenge from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration needed congressional authorization to demolish the East Wing and construct the new addition. The Supreme Court allowed construction to proceed in August while the litigation continued.
The DOJ is now asking the Supreme Court to dismiss the lawsuit or take up the case for argument on its merits.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
