As he has successfully done with the White House East Wing, the Kennedy Center, and other national monuments, President Trump is now working to hijack the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations.
Last week, I testified before the House Natural Resources Committee, raising concerns that the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Park Foundation are moving taxpayer money off the public books to Freedom 250, a partisan, private LLC founded by the President’s allies, with no transparency, accountability, or guardrails.
I spoke about how these diversions raise serious questions about DOI’s compliance with appropriations laws, and how the administration is selling access and hiding donors to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations through the use of Freedom 250.
I hope you will take a moment to read the summary of my testimony and the hearing, which also touches on how Freedom 250 is selling a whitewashed version of American history and how the National Park Service is assisting them in this effort.
PEER remains committed to the long fight for transparency and accountability. We will continue to shine a light on attempts to use federal agencies and taxpayer funds for political interests rather than the public good.
Onward,
Tim Whitehouse
Executive Director
Webinar: Climate Change, Governance, and the Trump Administration
What does the future of climate change governance look like after the first year of the Trump administration? On March 24th at 4 pm ET, join PEER, the Environmental Protection Network, and special guests for a discussion on what we can do to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the important role the federal government must play in addressing the climate crisis. Register today »
