House Democrats release report accusing Freedom 250 of donor deception and questionable contracts
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A House Natural Resources Committee report alleges that the Trump-linked Freedom 250 organization misled donors, diverted funds and used opaque contracts in planning the nation’s 250th-birthday events.
The House Natural Resources Committee released a 55-page report Thursday accusing Freedom 250, a public-private partnership that organizes high-profile events for the United States’ 250th anniversary, of misleading donors, soliciting foreign money and awarding contracts to allies of the Trump administration. The investigation, led by Rep. Jared Huffman, cites interviews with unnamed whistleblowers, sworn testimony and internal documents.
"We put it all together to really tell the story … of how Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a unifying national celebration and repurposed it for his own interests," Huffman said in a Zoom interview.
Freedom 250, created by an executive order in 2025 and overseen by the National Park Foundation, has staged events such as a UFC fight outside the White House, a state fair on the National Mall and a July 4 fireworks show that opened with a Trump rally. The report describes the group as a “shadow organization” that injected a partisan agenda into the celebrations.
The committee alleges that donors who intended to support the bipartisan America250 commission were given Freedom 250’s banking details, potentially constituting wire fraud. It also claims that $150 million in federal funds allocated for the anniversary was largely funneled to projects linked to the Trump administration, with Freedom 250 receiving only $25 million of the $100 million earmarked for America250.
Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez called the report “categorically false” and a “partisan smear,” while refusing to comment on specific allegations. Republican ranking member Rep. Bruce Westerman did not respond to requests for comment.
Watchdog groups and researchers cited in the report warn that the lack of transparency and the use of LLC structures may conceal donor identities and benefits. They recommend further oversight, noting that the committee has not yet adopted the report and that any future action could include subpoenas or criminal referrals if warranted.
