The two contractors who carried out President Donald Trump’s Reflecting Pool renovation, which left the pool a shocking shade of bright green, are in hot water with Congress.
Sen. Jeff Merkley launched an investigation into the more than $16 million project that resulted in one of the worst algae blooms in years, immediately after its completion and the peeling of blue paint.
The pool has since been fenced off as crews scramble to fix the botched job, while Trump argues that vandals sabotaged it, but has provided scant evidence to back up his claim.
Now, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee is demanding answers from Trump donor John Cafaro, CEO of Green Water Solutions, and Curtis Wood, CEO of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, after they received a pair of no-bid contracts to complete the project.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings received a $14.7 million contract to complete the waterproofing and painting of the pool, a far cry above the original $6.7 million estimate. Green Water Solutions received $1.7 million for the new filtration system, according to records.
Merkley’s probe is the latest to be launched this week as members of Congress seek information about the botched renovation that Trump has obsessed over for months.
“After railing about waste, fraud, and abuse, Donald Trump spent more than $16 million on a renovation of the Reflecting Pool that’s now peeling and chock full of algae,” Merkley said. “This is a massive waste of working families’ hard-earned tax dollars. I’m launching an investigation because taxpayers deserve swift answers—and a refund.”
The senator wrote a letter to Cafaro, Wood and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday with a series of questions about how they received the contracts and planning for the project, why the costs balloon substantially and why the work performed failed.
He also wanted to know what personal or political relationships the contractors had and what role, if any, those played in their selection for the project.
In response to the Daily Beast’s inquiry about the investigations, an Interior Department spokesperson responded by distancing the president from the contracting process.
“The White House was not involved in the selection process for any contract and did not weigh in on the companies selected. Full stop,” the spokesperson said. “The companies were selected because they had the expertise, workforce and materials needed to complete such a huge project in the timeline required to celebrate our nation’s 250th.”
The department did not provide evidence supporting the president’s claim that the pool was sabotaged by vandals.
Workers put up fencing around the pool this week to begin repairs after the president said it would have to be at least partially drained for the work. He’s been ranting about a massive gash across the bottom of the pool that he insists was the work of vandals but has not provided proof.
Trump has repeatedly put himself at the center of the project and boasted that he would fix the Reflecting Pool for good.
On May 7, the president’s motorcade even drove onto the drained Reflecting Pool so Trump could inspect the project in person.
Now, Merkley wants to know if any contractor or subcontractor approved the presidential motorcade, with at least a dozen armored vehicles, driving over the repaired expansion joints.
After the pool turned green from algae barely a week after it was refilled, workers were spotted pouring gallons of hydrogen peroxide into it. The senator wants details on the decision, whether it was recommended by a contractor or the Interior Department, and whether it was approved by the contractor under their warranties.
While the president has touted painting the bottom of the pool “American Flag Blue,” the senator is also seeking answers on whether the type and color of paint are standard for a large-scale reflecting pool, and whether concerns were raised about the choice and, if so, to whom.
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia is also asking questions about the president’s renovation project. The House Oversight Committee Ranking Member also sent a letter to both contractors this week, demanding more information.
He pointed out that Cafaro has donated extensively to Trump’s campaign and groups tied to the president while his firm has only ever had one other federal contract, another non-competitive award granted under Trump.
Garcia is seeking answers from both contractors on their work regarding the Reflecting Pool and system failures by July 8.
While Democrats hold little power to force the Trump administration to provide them with details, the investigations in both the House and Senate serve as a preview of the line of questions Trump officials and associates could face when appearing on Capitol Hill and what they may be forced to address should Democrats return to the majority.
