Congressional Report Accuses Trump Administration of Misusing Semiquincentennial Celebration
A Democratic-led House subcommittee released an interim report alleging that the White House used a nonprofit tied to the National Park Foundation to divert resources and gather voter data for political purposes during preparations for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The House Natural Resources Committee’s oversight subcommittee released an interim report on Thursday that claims the Trump administration repurposed the nonprofit America250 Foundation’s semiquincentennial planning effort for partisan activities. The report says the White House created a subsidiary called Freedom 250 within the National Park Foundation (NPF) and placed campaign operatives on the NPF board to channel funds and influence the celebration.
According to the document, Freedom 250 allegedly redirected donations intended for America250, provided donors with its own banking information, and offered sponsorship packages ranging from $500,000 to more than $10 million, including a photo opportunity with the president. The report also cites a June 14 event on the White House South Lawn that featured a mixed-martial-arts exhibition, noting that corporate sponsors with pending regulations and a cryptocurrency linked to the president’s family were involved.
Congressional staffers interviewed for the investigation said that artists hired for a state-fair kickoff were told the event would be nonpartisan, but later discovered it was tied to a Trump-backed rally. The report further alleges that a firm that organized the January 6 rally received multiple federal contracts totaling about $40 million, plus a master contract worth up to $100 million.
The investigation raises concerns about data collection, stating that Freedom 250’s website used a registration system provided by Campaign Nucleus, a firm founded by former Trump campaign adviser Brad Parscale, which reportedly employs artificial-intelligence tools to analyze personal information for voter targeting.
The report also describes a shift in the semiquincentennial’s educational content, noting that mobile museum units called “Freedom Trucks” were supplied with material from conservative organizations and presented a narrative emphasizing Christian themes in U.S. history. Critics on the subcommittee said this approach omitted references to slavery, Indigenous displacement, and secular founding principles.
Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the committee, said the findings illustrate a “potential template for other betrayals of public trust” and called for greater public awareness of how tax-exempt entities may be used for political purposes.
