Democrats preparing to take over key congressional investigative committees are targeting Donald Trump’s chief fundraiser, Meredith O’Rourke, over more than $800 million she has helped raise for the president’s pet projects, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Trump has praised O’Rourke and nicknamed her the “princess of darkness,” according to the Journal.
News of the probe came from a letter sent by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, incoming Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Richard Blumenthal and incoming House Oversight Committee Chairman Robert Garcia. It says her operation suggests possible widespread corruption, with the lawmakers pointing to Capital One, SoftBank and Lockheed Martin, which they say made major donations to Trump priorities and then got favorable treatment from the federal government.
“You facilitate an operation that raises serious questions about quid pro quo politics,” the lawmakers wrote.
Companies donating to the White House ballroom and Trump’s other signature projects have largely dealt with O’Rourke, the Journal reported in July. She has asked for anywhere from $5 million to $50 million and has told prospective donors that the president personally wanted the money.
The president supplies her with names to call, frequently people he has recently met with, and she has at times been in the room for his meetings with business executives, the report stated.
O’Rourke also sits on the board of Trump Media. Separately, Nvidia has committed $25 million to the ballroom, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
The lawmakers asked O’Rourke to list every company and donor she has personally solicited, and what came of each request, to explain how she is paid and what role she plays in executive meetings, and to respond by Nov. 25.
“President Trump is the most successful fundraiser in political history, and he is deeply grateful to his donors, but one thing has never changed: He can’t be bought,” a spokeswoman for Trump and O’Rourke said, calling the accusations baseless.
Capital One declined to comment, and SoftBank didn’t immediately respond. Lockheed has previously said its dealings with the government comply with the law.
The new chairs will have subpoena power in January, though the White House has already signaled it won’t cooperate with subpoenas. O’Rourke, notably, is not a White House employee. Warren and Blumenthal, joined by Sen. Adam Schiff, pressed O’Rourke over ballroom donations once before, last November. Warren is also demanding records tied to Nvidia’s China chip sales.
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