{"id":2539581,"date":"2026-01-16T16:57:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-group-demands-interior-department-investigate-freedom-250\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T17:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:00:03","slug":"watchdog-group-demands-interior-department-investigate-freedom-250","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-group-demands-interior-department-investigate-freedom-250\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog group demands Interior Department investigate Freedom 250"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatchdog-group-demands-interior-department-investigate-freedom-250%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2539581&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) urged the Interior Department to investigate whether Freedom 250 &#8211; a semiquincentennial effort tied to the Trump administration &#8211; improperly diverted roughly $100 million in taxpayer money intended for America250. Congress appropriated $150 million for America&#8217;s 250th anniversary, and PEER says an outside entity operating &#8220;outside the framework Congress created&#8221; may be using those funds; it requested a full accounting, records on private fundraising or merchandise sales, and disclosure of any National Park foundation (NPF) support. The Interior Department defended its approach, citing statutory authority and a cooperative agreement under which the NPS and NPF can contract with Freedom 250 to plan and run events. PEER&#8217;s claims reference a Semafor report that described a funding compromise of $50 million for America250 and $100 million for Freedom 250; former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, involved with both efforts, said she&#8217;s seen cooperation rather than conflict.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Watchdog group requests Interior Department investigation into Trump org&rsquo;s alleged diversion of America250 funds<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2203357\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/waters-has-shoveled-over-1-million-in-campaign-cash-to-daughter\/\" title=\"Waters Has Shoveled Over  Million in Campaign Cash to Daughter\">watchdog group<\/a> on Thursday called on the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/interior-department\/\">Interior Department <\/a>to produce financial details about one of the Trump administration&rsquo;s initiatives to celebrate the United States&rsquo;s semiquincentennial.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The development appears to mark an effort designed to ensure that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/freedom250.org\/\">Freedom 250<\/a>, a semiquincentennial initiative being spearheaded by President Donald Trump, does not gain access to any of the funds lawmakers appropriated last year toward <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4418027\/what-is-america-250\/\">marking the country&rsquo;s 250th birthday<\/a>. The Interior Department was tasked with dispersing those funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4422155\/judge-rejects-doj-bid-join-loudoun-county-locker-room-case\/\">Judge rejects DOJ bid to join Loudoun County locker room case on behalf of suspended boys<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4421197\/guerrilla-ice-watch-groups-backed-left-grantmakers\/\">Guerrilla-like &lsquo;ICE Watch&rsquo; groups backed by top left-wing grantmakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4418246\/democrats-request-over-30-million-lgbt-un-agency-appropriations-bill\/\">Democrats request over $30 million for pro-LGBT United Nations agency in appropriations bill<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In a letter to the federal agency, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility suggested Freedom 250 unlawfully diverted at least $100 million in taxpayer funds &ldquo;earmarked for America250,&rdquo; an organization <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/america250.org\/\">established by Congress<\/a> that holds an official role in promoting the semiquincentennial. The text from Trump&rsquo;s 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated the funding, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/1\/text\">does not explicitly name <\/a>an organization as a recipient of the funds.<\/p>\n<p>PEER, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/milwaukee-receives-zuckerbucks-just-before-residents-vote-on-banning-private-funding-for-elections\/\" title=\"Milwaukee receives donations from Mark Zuckerberg just before residents vote on prohibiting private election funding\">left-leaning nonprofit organization<\/a>, said it was concerned that an entity &ldquo;operating outside the framework Congress created&rdquo; is using taxpayer funds. It asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to produce documentation about how Freedom 250&rsquo;s funds are being used, and &ldquo;a full accounting&rdquo; of the organization&rsquo;s budget. It also asked the secretary for records on whether Freedom 250 is raising or accepting private funds, including through selling merchandise.&nbsp;In addition, PEER questioned the collaboration between the National Park Foundation and Freedom Defense.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The creation of a parallel entity to carry out work similar to America250 is blurring accountability, weakening congressional intent, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-jamaal-bowman-addresses-the-investigations-into-his-pulling-of-fire-alarm\/\" title=\"VIDEO: Jamaal Bowman Speaks on Fire Alarm Incident Investigations\">undermining public trust<\/a>. That trust is essential if the 250th anniversary is to be a moment of shared reflection rather than division. The American people deserve confidence that their money is being used responsibly, lawfully, and in service of an inclusive national commemoration,&rdquo; PEER Executive Director Timothy Whitehouse wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If National Park Foundation funds, staff time, or other in-kind resources are being used to support Freedom250, the Department should disclose how those contributions are accounted for, whether they were formally approved by the Foundation&rsquo;s board, and how they align with the Foundation&rsquo;s charitable mission. Staff time and in<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >-kind support represent real costs<\/a> to the public and must be treated with the same transparency as direct expenditures,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>The Interior Department dismissed concerns in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, citing legal provisions that it said allowed the Trump administration to work with Freedom Defense.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman said, &ldquo;PEER did not read the code because as it is clearly stated in Chapter 1011, Subchapter II (&sect;&sect;101111-101122), of Title 54, United States Code, NPF exists &lsquo;To encourage private gifts of real and personal property or any income therefrom or other interest therein for the benefit of, or in connection with, the National Park Service, its activities, or its services, and thereby to further the conservation of natural, scenic, historic, scientific, educational, inspirational, or recreational resources for future generations of Americans, there is hereby established a charitable and nonprofit corporation to be known as the National Park Foundation to accept and administer such gifts.&rsquo; As such NPF are the natural partners for the Department to work with.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;NPS [National Park Service] and the NPF entered into a cooperative agreement under 16 U.S.C. &sect; 4601 et seq., 54 U.S.C. &sect;&sect; 100101,&nbsp;101111-101122&nbsp;and P.L. 119-21, Sec. 50305, by which the NPS provides BBB funding for the NPF to (1) contract with a primary event contractor (in this case Freedom 250) to oversee, plan, organize and execute the majority of the events celebrating America&rsquo;s 250th anniversary, celebrations and\/or activities; and to (2) invest NPF&rsquo;s funds and generate additional funding in support of NPS&rsquo;s 250th anniversary&nbsp;funded purposes,&rdquo; they added. &ldquo;The NPS remains substantially involved in these activities, including but not limited to overseeing and providing meaningful, timely input on contracting actions and purchases, addressing the same in the terms of the operative cooperative agreement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>PEER&rsquo;s allegations appear to stem from a <em>Semafor<\/em> report the watchdog cited in its letter, which said America250 and Freedom 250 had &ldquo;managed to reach consensus about the money.&rdquo; The report <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/01\/12\/2026\/inside-the-scramble-to-keep-a-divided-americas-250th-birthday-on-track\">was published<\/a> earlier this week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The party-line tax and spending plan Republicans passed last summer appropriated $150 million for &lsquo;celebrating America&rsquo;s 250th Anniversary,&rsquo; to be distributed by the Department of the Interior. People familiar with talks between America and Freedom groups said they reached a funding compromise: $50 million for America250, and $100 million for Freedom 250,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The report also cited Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to Trump who sits on both America250&rsquo;s commission and counsels Freedom 250. She appeared to dismiss concerns about the parallel organizations competing with each other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4413856\/america-250-great-american-state-fair-ufc-fight-dc\/\">AMERICA 250 TO INCLUDE &lsquo;GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR&rsquo; AND UFC FIGHT AT HISTORIC DC VENUES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen collaboration, not confrontation,&rdquo; Conway said, adding that she is &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-dismisses-off-year-races-as-dems-eye-2026-senate-takeover\/\" title=\"GOP dismisses off-year races as Dems eye 2026 Senate takeover\">pleasantly surprised&#038;rdquo<\/a>; by the comity between the parallel efforts.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to the Interior Department for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watchdog urges Interior probe into Freedom250 funds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2539582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25317671838362.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[69516,37840,45047,3976,62184],"class_list":["post-2539581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-freedom-250","tag-government-oversight","tag-interior-department","tag-investigation","tag-watchdog-group"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25317671838362.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2539581"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2539589,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539581\/revisions\/2539589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2539582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2539581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2539581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2539581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}