DOJ attorney warns senator of legal consequences in White House ballroom donor probe
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U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz warned Senator Richard Blumenthal of possible criminal penalties for not complying with a document request related to investigations of donors to the White House ballroom project.
U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz, appointed by President Donald Trump, sent a letter to Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal stating that the senator must preserve emails and other records related to an inquiry into donations for the White House ballroom and confirm compliance by Nov. 18, warning that destroying evidence could lead to criminal consequences. Reitz cited two federal criminal statutes, including one covering conspiracies to violate constitutional rights, but did not indicate that the senator was the subject of a criminal investigation.
Blumenthal, who will chair a Senate subcommittee on investigations, responded that the warning was an attempt to intimidate Congress and pledged to continue investigations into the administration’s use of taxpayer funds and corporate contributions. He said the public deserves to know whether donations from companies such as Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Comcast, Microsoft, T-Mobile and Caterpillar were linked to contracts, lawsuits or regulatory decisions.
The letter was posted publicly on X, where Reitz wrote, "Congress is not a weapon to be wielded against the American people. I’m taking the first step to stop this abuse of power." Blumenthal, in turn, asked Reitz to preserve his own communications with the White House and the Justice Department.
Documents obtained by The Washington Post show that the ballroom project has attracted at least $333 million in private gifts, while the overall cost of the renovation has risen from an estimated $200 million to as much as $600 million, with half potentially funded by the federal budget. The project includes extensive security features described in DOJ filings.
The exchange follows recent letters from White House counsel Will Scharf to Democratic members of Congress, characterizing planned investigations as "abusive and capricious threats" and warning that they could cross into criminal conduct. Representative Robert Garcia replied that congressional authority derives from the Constitution, not from White House permission.