Sen. Richard Blumenthal is seeking records from donors to President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr before he takes over a Senate investigative panel, Reuters reported.
Blumenthal sent the requests Nov. 5 and is expected to lead the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations after Democrats take control in January. He said the panel could consider subpoenas if recipients do not provide records voluntarily, Reuters reported.
Companies named included Apple, Meta, Google, Nvidia, Amazon.com and Microsoft, along with other donors, Reuters reported. The requests concerned their contributions to the project.
Reuters characterized the requests as an early indication of how the incoming Democratic majority may pursue oversight once it controls the panel. Blumenthal also sent letters to cryptocurrency firms and the Department of Homeland Security about separate investigations, the report said.
The Washington Post reported in October that Apple and Nvidia each committed $25 million, part of $333 million in private donations. EconoTimes previously covered a spreadsheet listing ballroom donor commitments.
Blumenthal also asked Carr for records about the FCC’s handling of investigations involving media companies and the agency’s 2025 approval of the Paramount Skydance merger, Reuters reported. He criticized Carr for ordering an early review of broadcast licenses covering eight ABC stations that Disney owns. Blumenthal said Carr’s actions “erode and undermine freedom of speech and freedom of the press and bear on the laws governing media consolidation.”
In 2025, Blumenthal wrote to the technology firms that many donors had “deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration.” Reuters also reported that companies and the administration had ignored or failed to provide some documents in investigations over the past two years.
Carr and the companies had not immediately responded to requests for comment, Reuters reported. Democrats are expected to take control in January, when Blumenthal said the subcommittee could consider subpoenas if requested records remain outstanding.
