White House officials awarded a no-bid contract valued at up to $500 million for the construction of a ballroom in the East Wing, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing a copy of the contract agreement.
According to the report, the contract was issued through the Executive Residence, an office that operates outside the federal rules that typically require agencies to seek competitive bids and make contract details available to the public.
The Washington Post also reported that President Donald Trump was personally involved in negotiating certain costs associated with the ballroom project.
The contract was given to Clark Construction, a Virginia-based firm, which agreed to a 3% profit margin on its initial work on the East Wing, the newspaper reported.
Reuters, which first distributed the report, said it was unable to independently confirm the details. Neither the White House nor Clark Construction responded to requests for comment.
The ballroom project is one piece of a larger effort by Trump to reshape the look of Washington. Other elements of that plan include a 250-foot arch, a renovation of the National Mall reflecting pool, and a new promenade at the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump had previously stated that he and private donors would cover the cost of the ballroom, but he later turned to Congress seeking $1 billion in taxpayer funds for security-related upgrades. Senate Republicans, with November midterm elections in mind, rejected that request.
