Story perspectives

Trump-linked Contractor Gets $15M Pool Contract, Ducks Die

7/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

The $14-million Reflecting Pool overhaul was awarded without competition to a Trump-linked Virginia firm.
The pool shows algae blooms, peeling paint and stays drained, raising total costs above $15 million.
The National Park Service erected a chain-link fence around the pool under a contract through January 2027, keeping it closed.
Authorities discovered three dead ducks and charged at least four people, including former Olympian David Hearn, with property-damage offenses.

History

Historical Context

After the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Bush administration awarded Halliburton—then led by former Vice President Dick Cheney—no-bid contracts, including a $2 billion fuel deal, and similar non-competitive awards followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The pattern of politically linked firms receiving $14 million for a Reflecting Pool overhaul echoes those earlier crony-contract practices and raised concerns about cost overruns and oversight.

1 of 2

Story summary

The $14-million Reflecting Pool overhaul was awarded without competition to a Trump-linked Virginia firm.
The pool shows algae blooms, peeling paint and stays drained, raising total costs above $15 million.
The National Park Service erected a chain-link fence around the pool under a contract through January 2027, keeping it closed.
Authorities discovered three dead ducks and charged at least four people, including former Olympian David Hearn, with property-damage offenses.

1 / 2