Reported no-bid contract pushes White House ballroom controversy to a new level

Those looking for a simple phrase to help summarize Donald Trump’s second term could do worse than “no-bid contract.” Indeed, it has been difficult to keep up on all of the assorted projects championed by the president that have bypassed the normal bidding process the federal government has relied on for many years.

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Reflecting Pool renovations? No-bid contract. Applying gold-toned coating to horse statues by the Lincoln Memorial? No-bid contract. Repairing ornamental fountains in Lafayette Park? No-bid contract.

And then, of course, there’s Trump’s beloved White House ballroom project, which is the subject of a striking new report from The Washington Post.

White House officials last year secretly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for the construction of the East Wing ballroom in an unusual arrangement that sidestepped typical contracting procedures designed to control costs, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Washington Post.

The confidential contract went to Maryland-based Clark Construction, the same company Trump also awarded a no-bid contract to for the Lafayette Park project.

According to the Post’s report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, the president was “directly involved” in negotiating some details of the project.

The White House budget has long included funds for Office of the Executive Residence, which covers spending on things such as furniture and routine repairs. According to the documents obtained by the Post, Team Trump routed a massive no-bid contract for the president’s ballroom through this office, which is “exempt from rules that require federal agencies to solicit competitive bids and disclose details to the public.”