Some have expressed concern that Freedom 250, the group President Donald Trump founded to support the 250th plan, is ignoring federal rules.
President Trump announces plans to build ‘Independence Arch’ to commemorate 250th anniversary of nation’s founding
President Trump reveals plans to build an “Independence Arch” near Arlington Cemetery to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026 (Scripps News)
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As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversaryth With the anniversary coming up in a few months, some are concerned that transparency and politicization are affecting the organization created by President Donald Trump to help with his extravagant plans for the celebration.
Congressional Democrats and watchdog groups have expressed concerns in recent days that Freedom 250, a subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, lacks transparency, ignores federal rules and allows corporations and wealthy individuals to buy access to the Oval Office.
House members grilled Park Foundation leaders in a hearing on February 10 after the New York Times reported that Freedom 250 was allegedly trading access to Trump for donations.
The newspaper said organizations that donated to Freedom 250 were offered a variety of benefits in exchange for donations ranging from $1 million to nearly $10 million, including “an invitation to a private Freedom 250 Appreciation Reception hosted by President Donald J. Trump” and the opportunity to speak at major events.
Now, in a new letter sent on February 11th, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is calling on the Trump administration to provide transparency about Freedom 250’s donors, fundraising efforts, and governance structure.
“Linking private donations, explicitly or implicitly, to invitations to White House events, photo ops, ceremonial roles, or other forms not available to the general public raises serious concerns about the auctioning of government activities,” Schiff wrote in a letter to Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
He suggested such efforts could violate bribery, conflicts of interest and ethics rules.
The White House did not directly respond to emailed questions about whether it intended to respond to Schiff’s request for information. White House Press Secretary Davis Engle instead issued an emailed statement saying, “It is completely disgraceful that Pencil Neck Adam Schiff would try to tear down the United States of America in the middle of our 50th anniversary celebration simply because he hates President Trump.”
The Freedom 250 has several sponsors listed on its website so far, including Exxon Mobile, Mastercard, Deloitte, Palantir and IndyCar. But Schiff and other Democrats have suggested the organization’s opaque structure could allow other organizations to donate without oversight.
America250, another bipartisan group created by Congress more than a decade ago that organizes programming around the anniversary, also uses sponsorship packages to solicit donors, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Sponsorship opportunities suggest that for as little as $500,000, donors to America250 can become a “Liberty Partner” and receive an “invitation and reserved seating” at the event. For $5 million, donors can earn a seat on the America 250 advisory board, be invited to events with “top leaders and influencers,” and receive recognition at a reception “attended by members of Congress, government officials, Supreme Court justices, and governors,” among other perks.
Opaque structure of Freedom 250
The biggest concern for Democrats and government watchdog groups about Freedom 250 is the lack of transparency inherent in the group’s structure.
Separate from America 250’s planned efforts, President Trump created Freedom 250 in December as a subsidiary of the National Park Foundation to fund his vision for the nation’s milestone birthday. The organization claims to be nonpartisan.
Schiff said in the letter that Freedom 250 appears to be “operating parallel to, and in some cases overlapping with, America 250,” and that it is “essential” that the public understands how it operates and accepts donations.
Freedom 250 and Freedom 250 are nonprofit organizations and are not subject to the same financial disclosure requirements as federal government agencies.
Donors to Freedom 250 can choose to remain anonymous. And according to the Park Foundation’s 1967 charter, the organization can accept any donation, even if it is “in the interest of a private individual,” as long as it benefits the National Park Service in some way.
Last year, President Trump added Chris Rakavita, a former adviser to his 2024 campaign, and Meredith O’Rourke, one of his key fundraisers, to the Park Foundation board.
“The problem is there’s no accountability. There’s no transparency. There’s no guardrails. There’s no oversight,” Tim Whitehouse, executive director of the Association of Environmentally Responsible Public Employees, said at a Congressional hearing about how the group accepts donations.
Park Foundation President and CEO Jeff Reinbold told lawmakers that the organization will disclose Freedom 250 donors on its 2027 tax return. Those who requested anonymity are not included.
In response to concerns from some lawmakers, Freedom 250 spokeswoman Rachel Reisner told USA TODAY that the organization does not and will not accept foreign donations.
In a letter to Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, Schiff asked for information about O’Rourke’s role in 250.th Includes fundraising events, a complete list of all individual and corporate donors, and other information.
Taxpayer money is at stake
In addition to collecting private donations, Freedom 250 shares taxpayer funds with America 250. Reinbold said the Park Foundation stores taxpayer money and donations donated to Freedom 250 much like a bank, dispersing it at the request of the Park Service.
Some watchdog groups, including the Center for Western Priorities, have expressed concern that these funds are being used to push conservative, right-wing views of the United States during the commemoration.
In 2025, Congress appropriated $150 million to the Department of the Interior as needed to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Officials allocated $50 million of that money to America 250 and $100 million to Freedom 250, according to people familiar with the deal. The 250 U.S. companies have received just $25 million so far, less than they had previously expected, the people said.
Freedom 250 has so far spent $10 million converting six tractor-trailer trucks into mobile history exhibits created in partnership with Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian private school, and PragerU, a conservative media organization. More than $270,000 was allocated to Event Strategies, the group that organized the January 6 rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C.
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