House Democrats Accuse Trump-Linked Fundraisers of Fraud Over America 250 Donation Diversion

House Democrats accused Trump-linked fundraisers of fraud over diverted donations for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, alleging that donors seeking to support America250 were instead given Freedom 250 banking and routing numbers.

“Democrats accuse Trump-linked fundraisers of fraud over diverted donations for America's anniversary House Democrats allege consultants tied to President Donald Trump may have engaged in financial fraud related to the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations WASHINGTON -- Consultants tied to President Donald Trump may have engaged in financial fraud, tricking donors who wanted to support the nation’s bipartisan 250th anniversary organizer into sending their money instead to a rival group set up by his administration, according to a report released Thursday by House Democrats”

ABC News

The ABC News report said the Democratic investigation described Freedom 250 as “a vehicle for a Christian nationalist, partisan, and Trump-centered vision of American identity,” and noted Freedom 250 denied the claims.

ABC News

Democrats alleged that Trump hijacked the 250th birthday celebration by redirecting “tens of millions of dollars” in taxpayer money and private donations, with spending directed to companies connected to Trump’s political operation.

ABC News reported that America250 was expecting $100 million of $150 million allocated to the Interior Department for events, but had received only $25 million, and that the White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez dismissed the Democrats’ report as “categorically false” and a “partisan smear from politicians who would rather manufacture division,” while ABC News said Alvarez previously served as a spokesperson for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.

NPR reported that Rep. Jared Huffman said the report was based on interviews with unnamed whistleblowers, sworn Congressional testimony, internal Freedom 250 documents and other written responses, and Huffman told NPR that “This was a team of operatives using the Freedom 250 shell company, but it was also Donald Trump himself telling them what to do.”

CNN

NPR also said Freedom 250 described itself as “the national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation's 250th birthday,” and that Freedom 250 told NPR it does not speak for the White House.

The Guardian said the interim report “has not been officially adopted by the committee,” and quoted the report’s claim that the anniversary was converted “into an apparatus for raising and spending money in service of the President’s ego, political ideology, and pet projects.”

Democrats warned that the alleged donor deception—giving donors banking information for Freedom 250 instead of America250—could violate federal law, with NPR saying the report alleges it could constitute wire fraud.

NPR reported that Huffman said his investigation will continue well past July Fourth, especially if Democrats reclaim the House in this fall’s midterm elections, and he did not rule out subpoenas or criminal referrals if applicable.

The Guardian described the report’s allegations that Freedom 250 “surreptitiously diverted resources intended for America250 for its own benefit,” leaving America250 scrambling for funds.

ABC News said the Democratic report recounts how the Trump administration sought to control America250, the nonprofit arm of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission established by Congress in 2016, and that after pushback Freedom 250 was created as a limited liability corporation wholly owned subsidiary of the National Park Foundation.