Comcast Donates $7.5 Million to Trump White House Ballroom

Other familiar names in Hollywood include Apple, Amazon and Google.

Comcast donated $7.5 million to fund President Donald Trump's new White House ballroom, raising questions about whether the donation was made to appease the administration.

A list obtained by The Washington Post shows all the major contributors to the project. Comcast was previously identified as a contributor, though the amount of the donation was not disclosed. At the time, the company had several issues before the government, including investigations into diversity, equity and inclusive programming, its treatment of local broadcast affiliates and Kamala Harris' appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live. There were also rumors of a possible Warner Bros. acquisition of Discovery.

Funding for the two-story, 89,000-square-foot ballroom totaled $333 million, according to the report. Hollywood names who contributed: Apple, which contributed $25 million, Google, which contributed $22 million through a settlement of Trump's lawsuit against YouTube, and Amazon, which contributed $5 million. Separately, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen paid $25 million, and former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter's nonprofit organization paid more than $20 million.

After Comcast was identified as a donor last year, lawmakers raised concerns the company is trying to get favorable treatment from the government in connection with merger reviews or enforcement actions. They hinted at a possible merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which would require a green light from regulators.

"Interest in the Trump administration's favorable action creates the potential for a trade-off to assist the ballroom for regulatory or other protections from the federal government," reads a letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. This danger seems particularly acute amid this administration's claims of political decision-making in the public interest and not on antitrust grounds.

It's unclear whether the FCC's investigation into Comcast has ended with penalties or findings of wrongdoing.

Last month, the Supreme Court allowed construction on the ballroom to proceed, halting a federal judge's order to halt the project. It is believed that this building is one of Trump's top priorities.

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