Report: Three Lobbying Firms Represent Most Corporate Donors to Trump’s $300M White House Ballroom

A government accountability analysis found that a majority of corporations known to have donated to the fund for President Trump’s planned $300 million White House ballroom were represented by just three lobbying firms. The findings are based on publicly available lobbying disclosure forms and other records.

Donor Dinner and Who Attended

The report notes that lobbyists from Miller Strategies, Ballard Partners and Michael Best Strategies attended a recent donor recognition dinner in the White House East Room, where executives from major technology and cryptocurrency companies mingled with administration officials. The East Room event honored private contributors whose donations have helped finance construction underway for the new ballroom.

Which Firms and Corporations Were Involved

Public filings and the analysis show that many donor corporations retained one or more of the three firms in 2025, often paying substantial annual fees for federal advocacy. A separate firm, Akin, was also identified as providing lobbying or legal services that year to several donor companies and had a representative at the event.

According to the disclosures reviewed:

• Ballard Partners represented multiple donors, including Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Comcast, Extremity Care, Hard Rock International, NextEra Energy, Palantir, Reynolds American, Ripple, T-Mobile and Vantive.
• Miller Strategies represented donors such as Altria, Apple, Comcast, Micron Technology, Palantir and Tether; records also show the firm represents a cryptocurrency company founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
• Michael Best Strategies (led by Reince Priebus) listed clients that included Hard Rock International, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Ripple and T-Mobile.
• Akin provided lobbying or legal services in 2025 to several donors, including Altria, Booz Allen Hamilton, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Micron Technology, Microsoft, NextEra Energy and Vantive.

Lobbyists’ Role and Questions from Lawmakers

Multiple sources indicate lobbyists helped connect corporate clients with the ballroom fundraising effort. Several prominent figures associated with those firms attended the dinner, including Reince Priebus of Michael Best Strategies and firm principals Jeff Miller and Brian Ballard. Representatives from Akin were also present. Those individuals declined to comment for the record.

Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have sent formal questions to the lobbyists and a political fundraiser involved in the effort. The senators requested details on when the firms were enlisted, whom they communicated with inside the president’s orbit, how much they were asked to raise and whether they would receive any portion of contributions. The letters ask for records of which companies were solicited and the amounts donated.

Senators wrote that the scale of fundraising required for this construction project “has clearly required coordination and expertise,” and they called for greater transparency about who is funding one of the most substantial construction projects at the White House in recent history.

Context and Status

The inquiry seeks more disclosure but does not allege illegal conduct by the lobbyists or fundraiser. The matter remains under scrutiny as lawmakers evaluate the fundraising process and the connections between corporate donors and lobbying firms representing them.