Last week, I testified before the House Natural Resources Committee about the growing role of Freedom 250, a private, Trump-aligned company, in planning the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations.
My testimony followed reports that the Department of the Interior (DOI) had transferred at least $100 million in taxpayer funds from the congressionally mandated, non-partisan organization that was supposed to put on America’s birthday to the more partisan entity founded by President Trump.
Before the committee, I raised concerns that DOI and the National Park Foundation are moving taxpayer money off the public books to Freedom 250 with no transparency, no accountability, and no guardrails.
I spoke about PEER’s January letter to DOI Secretary Burgum, which raised concerns about DOI’s compliance with appropriations laws and transparency requirements, and its authority to redirect congressionally authorized funds.
I mentioned our request for information, which DOI has failed to disclose, on the following:
- A full accounting of how taxpayer funds connected to Freedom 250 are being spent
- Disclosure of private fundraising and donor relationships
- Clear explanation of the role DOI agencies and affiliated organizations are playing
- Assurance that public employees are not being directed to support private enterprises
In addition to addressing the concerns in our letter, I also testified about troubling reporting in The New York Times on how the Trump administration is selling access to events around the 250th anniversary to the highest corporate bidder. I also noted that many of the corporations making donations have substantial financial interest in currying good favor with the Trump Administration.
I also addressed a leaked video from the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in which the head of Freedom 250 was pitching foreign state actors to donate to Freedom 250. I shared that DOI employees were being pressured to include Freedom 250 logos and links in the email signatures of their official email accounts – a possible violation of the Hatch Act and the employee’s First Amendment rights against compelled speech.
Many Democrats used the hearing to call out the administration’s continued efforts to erase history across the National Park System and expressed concerns that Freedom 250 was espousing a white, Christian nationalist view of United States history.
In my testimony, I mentioned that this administration is deliberately erasing our nation’s history in advance of the 250th anniversary celebration. Recent examples include DOI’s removal of a slavery exhibit at Independence Park in Philadelphia and the removal of references to difficult historical events at National Park Service (NPS) sites, such as the internment of Japanese American people at camps and conflicts with Native Americans at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in New York City.
I was clear that erasing history doesn’t make it go away; it makes it more likely to repeat itself and harkens back to some very dark and dangerous times in world history.
As I said at the end of my testimony, a 250th anniversary celebration should strengthen trust in our democratic institutions, not erode it. When it comes to Freedom 250, transparency is not a distraction from patriotism; it is one of its most essential expressions.
What comes next
PEER will keep pushing for transparency, lawful use of taxpayer funds, and protections for DOI and NPS employees who raise concerns about Freedom 250.
America’s 250th anniversary should strengthen confidence in our institutions, not erode it. It should reflect our full history, not be shaped by a Christian nationalist view of our country. And it should respect the career professionals who protect public lands, not place them in ethically compromised positions.
This isn’t partisan. It’s about preserving the public trust — and making sure our shared resources are treated like they belong to all of us.
Tim Whitehouse is the Executive Director at PEER.
