Congressional Democrats Expose Trump and Burgum’s Illegal Takeover of America’s 250th Anniversary
Save Our Parks Calls On Lawmakers To Demand More Oversight, Accountability, and Transparency Into Administration’s Latest Corrupt Pay-to-Play Scheme
HELENA, MT – Today, in a House Natural Resources Committee hearing, Congressional Democrats exposed the Trump administration’s illegal politicization of America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Members demanded answers about Donald Trump and Doug Burgum’s shady and corrupt “Freedom 250” rebrand, an explicitly pro-Trump effort whose anonymous donor solicitations are ripe for influence peddling.
During today’s hearing, entitled “All in for America250: Public-Private Partnerships Supporting America’s Semiquincentennial on our Public Lands,” Democratic members unpacked the controversial Freedom 250 takeover scheme under Interior Secretary Burgum, demanding transparency and answers on this wasteful duplicative effort, its pay-to-play influence peddling structure, the flow of tax dollars to rightwing nationalist organizations, and the solicitation of non-transparent donations, including foreign donations. Democrats specifically called out Interior Secretary Burgum for overseeing the creation of this illegal and non-transparent extremist scheme that is co-opting America’s birthday for this president.
“The Trump administration has turned America’s 250th anniversary into a corrupt pay-to-play influence peddling scheme and a propaganda outlet for extremist revisionist history and censorship. It also raises serious questions about Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s non-transparent and corrupt tenure,” said Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill. “Democratic lawmakers asked the tough questions that Doug Burgum and his team have consistently refused to answer: Why are tax dollars going to right-wing extremist organizations with no credentials and no credibility? Why is the Trump administration forcing executive branch employees to promote Freedom 250? Members of Congress must continue to pursue oversight, demand answers, and fight for transparency to ensure those responsible, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, are held accountable.”
During the hearing, House Natural Resources Ranking Member Jarred Huffman (D-CA), opened by stating, “Our greatness, though, has always been our enduring aspiration to be more perfect. And that's what real patriotism is, but it requires being honest about the full complexity of our past and about what's happening right now under our watch. Here's the truth. This corrupt, dishonest White House is trying to use America's 250th milestone as a stage to promote an alternate reality in Trump's fake America.” Huffman also commented on the continued whitewashing and censorship of American history under Burgum, noting, “That's not patriotism, it's cowardice. We should honor the 250th anniversary of America by telling the truth.”
Freedom250 trucks, promoting censored and revisionist American history, are already on display in Florida. Due to the lack of transparency, it’s unclear who is funding the effort and if tax dollars are being used for this display. The National Park Foundation President and CEO admitted to Subcommittee Ranking Member Maxine Dexter (D-OR) that donations under Freedom250 LLC’s secretive structure would remain undisclosed if the donor requested, revealing the real potential for funneling foreign donations into this administration’s latest influence peddling scheme.
Background:
Ten years ago, Congress created the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, named America250, to commemorate our 250th anniversary. Not content to share the spotlight, Trump’s White House created its own effort, Freedom 250, sponsored by groups like Exxon Mobil, as well as far right nationalist organizations PragerU and Hillsdale College.
Trump and Burgum’s thinly-veiled influence peddling operation has already received millions in taxpayer dollars, and is soliciting millions more from anonymous donors. Career employees at the Interior Department and elsewhere are likely being made to promote and endorse Freedom 250, which would be a violation of both the Hatch Act and the First Amendment, among others. The Trump administration has yet to submit a nominee to lead the National Park Service, instead Burgum has delegated authority to the park service’s comptroller and unqualified crony Kevin Lilly.
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To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com.
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