California senators raise questions about the donors to Trump’s ballroom project
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
SCHIFF, DEMS QUESTION TRUMP FINANCING OF BALLROOM
Via David Lightman…
Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, demanded answers Wednesday from the Trump administration about the financing of the new White House ballroom.
“To assess possible conflicts of interest and violations of law and ethics obligations, Congress and the American public deserve meaningful transparency. We, therefore, request a complete accounting of all donations to the White House ballroom construction project, including the conditions under which contributions were made,” wrote Schiff and Senate Democratic colleagues, including California’s Alex Padilla.
President Donald Trump says the ballroom will cost about $300 million and be funded by private donors and the president himself.
ABC News reported that earlier this month, the Trump administration released the names and affiliations of those attending a White House dinner to discuss the project.
Among the companies represented were Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft, Coinbase, Ripple and Tether.
The ballroom project has stirred controversy, as the East Wing, home of the First Lady’s staff and long a grand entrance for White House events, was demolished to make room for the new ballroom.
The Democrats asked White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for the amounts each of the contributors are giving, their existing business with the administration including applications for federal contracts, ongoing litigation and pending regulatory approvals.
They also want to know if Trump or any executive branch official sought guidance from ethics officials about whether it’s proper to accept the donations and whether there are “any guardrails the administration put in place to ensure donors don’t have unfair access to the president or members of his administration as a result of their contribution to the ballroom.”
LAND BACK IN TULARE COUNTY
Via Chaewon Chung…
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced the return of more than 17,000 acres of ancestral land to the Tule River Indian Tribe, in a move he called a “critical step” toward strengthening the state’s relationship with the tribe and advancing California’s efforts to restore and protect vital ecosystems.
“The historical wrongs committed by the state against the native people of this land echo through the natural worlds of California — ecosystems that lost their first and best stewards,” he said in a press release.
“Today marks a critical step in deepening the relationship between the state and the Tule River Indian Tribe, and works towards restoring the deep relationship between the tribe and their ancestral lands.”
The Tule River Indian Tribe is located in the foothills east of the San Joaquin Valley, near the city of Porterville in Tulare County.
Wednesday’s announcement came as part of California’s “30x30” initiative issued under Executive Order N-82-20 in 2020 to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030.
A July progress report found the state has made progress toward the goal, with 26.1% of California’s lands and 21.9% of its coastal waters under long-term conservation and care.
Tule River Tribal Council Chairman Leister “Shine” R. Nieto Jr. said the expansion would help with ongoing preservation of cultural sites and deepen environmental stewardship.
“The tribe envisions this land located in the Yowlumne Hills as a place to gather, heal and simply be, for members of the Tule River Indian Tribe,” Nieto said.
Last year, the tribe partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to reintroduce a family of seven beavers into the area, and Wednesday reintroduced some tule elk to the area, “to help restore the land’s ecological community.”
California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the land return represented “the best of California.”
“The return of tule elk to these foothills shows what is possible when cultural resilience and conservation come together to build a healthier, more just California.”
ESSAYLI’S ROLE DEEMED ILLEGAL
Via Lia Russell…
Bill Essayli, the former state lawmaker who left the legislature in April to join the Trump administration, is illegally serving in his role as the Department of Justice’s top Los Angeles-area prosecutor, according to a federal judge.
Hawaii District Court Judge Michael Seabright ruled Tuesday that Essayli “is not lawfully serving as Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California,” and disqualified him from prosecuting three cases in which defense attorneys had challenged Essayli’s involvement because he had not been confirmed to his role by Congress.
Attorney General Pam Bondi first appointed Essayli on an interim basis on April 2, allowing him to serve for 120 days until July 31, when he would have been required to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On July 29, Bondi appointed Essayli First Assistant U.S. Attorney and “Special Attorney,” and he resigned his post as interim U.S. Attorney, effectively circumventing the required Senate confirmation and extending his tenure, according to Seabright.
However, in his ruling, Seabright said Essayli could continue on as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, noting that he had been properly appointed in his special capacity and that his supervision as acting U.S. Attorney had not improperly interfered with the cases of the defendants, who are facing charges such as felony possession of a firearm or ammunition and racketeering.
Essayli, who has made himself into Trump’s top legal advocate in California for carrying out the White House’s hardline deportation agenda, said nothing was changing.
“I continue serving as the top federal prosecutor in the Central District of California,” he said online. “It’s an honor and privilege to serve President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, and I look forward to advancing their agenda for the American People.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This isn’t about the parties. You’re talking about the American people — people who voted for all of you. Do your job. Work for the people.”
— Beverly Smith, 77, talking about the pause in SNAP aid due to the government shutdown while waiting in line for food at the Arcade Church on Marconi Ave
BEST OF THE BEE
- Sacramento solar site claimed as ‘bare ground,’ yet thousands of trees at risk via Chaewon Chung
- UC coaches are California’s highest paid public employees. Who made the most? via William Melhado
- What does the latest Fed interest rate cut mean to California consumers? via David Lightman
- Move over pumpkins, California’s Christmas tree making way to state Capitol via Darrell Smith
Correction: Tuesday’s Capitol A.M. Alert incorrectly stated which driver’s licenses can be obtained under Assembly Bill 60.
.jpg)