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National Park Service awarded ballroom contractor Clark Construction a no-bid $17.4M Lafayette Park fountain contract

In January 2026, the National Park Service awarded Clark Construction Group — the contractor also building President Trump's East Wing White House ballroom — a sole-source, no-bid contract to repair two Lafayette Park fountains, invoking an urgency exemption normally reserved for emergencies. The award grew from a 2022 government estimate of $3.3 million to $17.4 million, with contracting specialists identifying irregularities including double-counted inflation costs.

Part of: Trump Administration No-Bid and Irregular Contracts

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

In January 2026 (the exact award date is not established in reporting reviewed), the National Park Service awarded Clark Construction Group — the same contractor building President Trump's $400 million White House East Wing ballroom — a sole-source, no-bid contract to repair two ornamental fountains in Lafayette Park, across from the White House. NPS had projected the repair would cost $3.3 million in a 2022 estimate; the January 2026 award was for $11.9 million, with subsequent add-ons bringing the total to $17.4 million. NPS invoked an "urgency" exemption normally reserved for emergencies to bypass competitive bidding, citing the need to complete repairs before the nation's 250th-birthday celebration in July 2026; the contract was not initially posted on public contracting databases.

Cost estimator Stephen J. Kirk, whose original 2022 estimate NPS relied on, said contractors "just took the cover page of my estimate and just added a bunch of money onto it." Contracting specialists identified irregularities including inflation costs applied twice and a flat, unitemized fast-track fee, calling the structure abnormal. The New York Times first reported the contract on April 25, 2026; Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent NPS a formal inquiry letter in early May 2026 questioning whether "excess taxpayer dollars are being diverted to Clark Construction." The $17.4 million award ranks among the dozen largest NPS contracts of Trump's second term.

Updates

2026-05-07 — Rep. Ritchie Torres asked the Interior IG to investigate the award [5]

Rep. Ritchie Torres formally called on the Interior Department's Inspector General to investigate the no-bid contract awarded to Clark Construction.

2026-06-10 — Blumenthal escalated his inquiry directly to Interior Secretary Burgum [6]

Sen. Blumenthal sent a follow-up letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, accusing the National Park Service of "rubberstamping" Trump-linked construction projects and "enabling blatant corruption."

Why we recorded this

Federal competitive-bidding rules exist to ensure public contracts are awarded on the merits rather than steered to favored firms. The National Park Service used a rarely invoked urgency exemption to award a Lafayette Park fountain-repair contract to Clark Construction — the same firm building Trump's East Wing ballroom — at more than five times a prior government cost estimate, without competitive bidding. This entry records a federal agency using an emergency carve-out to bypass procurement safeguards that protect taxpayers from inflated, non-competitive awards.

Sources

  1. White House Ballroom Contractor Wins $17.4M 'Sole-Source' Park Contract — Engineering News-Record primary accessed July 9, 2026
  2. Blumenthal Questions Massive No-Bid Contract Awarded to Trump's Ballroom Construction Firm — Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal primary accessed July 9, 2026
  3. Builder of Trump Ballroom Given $17M No-Bid Contract That Biden Admin Said Would Cost $3M — Truthout secondary accessed July 9, 2026
  4. Trump used Park Service to funnel millions to ballroom construction firm — Center for Western Priorities secondary accessed July 9, 2026
  5. Rep. Ritchie Torres Calls on Interior Inspector General to Investigate No-Bid Contract Awarded to Contractor Building Trump's Ballroom — Office of Rep. Ritchie Torres primary accessed July 11, 2026
  6. Blumenthal Demands Answers From Burgum After National Park Service Rubberstamps Trump Construction Projects, Enables Blatant Corruption — Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal primary accessed July 11, 2026

See also