Sen. Blumenthal seeks details on White House ballroom from new architect, donor dinner attendees
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is pushing for more information on a White House ballroom project championed by President Trump, sending a series of letters Monday to the project's architect and some attendees of a fundraising dinner.
The White House disclosed a partial list of those who attended the October 15 dinner, which was held to recognize financial contributors to the $400 million ballroom project. CBS News obtained a more complete list of invitees through sources.
Blumenthal asked several reported attendees who weren't on the official list how they decided whether to donate and how much to give. He also asks if they were given the option to stay off the White House-released list, and if so, why they chose to remain anonymous.
David Baszucki, the CEO of game company Roblox, did not appear on the White House list, but did attend the dinner. Blumenthal asks Baszucki to confirm in writing that he donated $5 million to back the ballroom, an amount not previously reported. The senator writes that Baszucki told him about the donation during a meeting.
A Roblox spokesperson said Baszucki donated to the non-profit organization supporting the ballroom project in his personal capacity — but declined to specify the amount.
Blumenthal also sent letters to Trish Duggan, a wealthy Republican donor; Robert Goldstein, CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp.; Carey Smith, Parsons Corp. CEO; Dan Gilbert, Rocket Companies Chairman; Steve Rudder; Cliff Sims, a former White House official; John Solomon, Just The News editor-in-chief; TV personality Greta Van Susteren and her husband; and Geoff Verhoff, a lobbyist.
Not all of the fundraising dinner's attendees have confirmed that they donated.
"Many of the donors have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration," Blumenthal wrote, arguing that Americans are entitled to "all the relevant facts about who is funding the most substantial construction project at the White House in recent history."
Roblox has faced criticism for insufficient child protections on its platform, and members of Congress have taken note. It also faces a wave of state lawsuits accusing the company of exposing minors to potentially harmful content. Tennessee sued Roblox as recently as last week.
Since the October dinner, the company announced new child safety measures. Roblox has said it dedicates "substantial resources" to finding and taking down inappropriate content.
Democrats lack subpoena power in Congress, so Blumenthal's asks amount to a request rather than a binding demand.
Blumenthal also wrote to the architect who took over the ballroom project after tensions between Mr. Trump and the original architect became public.
Shalom Baranes, a D.C.-based architect, was hired in early December. So far the White House has declined to share details about its financial arrangement with the firm.
Blumenthal's letter asks for Baranes to provide details about how he became involved in the project, whether there is a contract between Baranes and the government and if he has shared design plans.
The senator also asks whether Baranes has entered into any agreements that would limit his ability to share information about the project.
