POLITICS

Washington awards secret $500M no-bid ballroom contract

PUBLISHED Jun 30, 2026, 11:26 AM ET

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A Washington Post report published on June 30, 2026, details how White House officials secretly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Virginia-based Clark Construction for a new East Wing ballroom. The agreement was routed through the Executive Residence, a White House office that is legally exempt from standard federal competitive bidding and public disclosure rules. Documents reviewed by the newspaper indicate that President Donald Trump was directly involved in negotiating certain project costs, including a 3 percent profit margin on early work. The project was initiated in the summer of 2025 to expedite construction and limit public scrutiny.

By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Summer 2025 Project planning reportedly begins
Summer 2025 Executive Residence route selected
Summer 2025 Clark Construction engagement negotiated
Summer 2025 Trump discusses ballroom project costs
Summer 2025 Contract structured as no-bid
June 30 2026 Washington Post publishes investigative report
June 30 2026 Details of $500M contract revealed
June 30 2026 Public learns of Executive Residence exemptions

News Intelligence

This $500M deal could affect your tax dollars. It bypassed usual federal rules for competitive bidding. That means no public scrutiny on how the money is spent. Keep an eye on your local representatives' stance on this issue.