Trump dodges rules in rush to douse DC horse statues with gold

President Donald Trump’s second term has been characterized by turmoil and vanity projects, and in the latter category, reports NOTUS, he’s now adding gold-coated statues. Specifically, the four massive bronze horses surrounding the Lincoln Memorial, which he’s in a hurry to have caked in 23.75-karat gold leaf. According to NOTUS, the president has contracted an “unusually thick layer of nearly pure gold — heavier and purer than even the ‘extra-thick’ gold… used to refinish the exterior of the Wyoming state capital dome seven years ago.”

The horses were last restored in the 1970s, but now, “The Trump administration wants them glittering with a fresh coat of gold in time for America’s 250th anniversary on July 4. So in mid-April, the National Park Service handed a $5 million contract to a gilding studio in Maryland to repair the statues and cover them with a thick layer of 23.75-karat gold leaf… The $5 million contract includes more work than just the gold leafing, although the gold itself is certain to be a significant part of the cost, with the price of gold essentially doubling over the last several years.”

According to NOTUS, “It awarded the project without a full competition.”

As Trump has rushed to leave his mark on the city he has long denigrated, his tendency to hand out no-bid, low oversight contracts for millions upon millions of dollars, often to his associates, has been well documented. Per a NOTUS review of government spending data, “In total, the Interior Department is spending at least $95 million in taxpayer funds for new D.C. beautification projects.” That does not include another $20 million in unreported contracts, including the four horses.

“It is within the realm of reason to say: It’s the 250th anniversary that’s coming up, and instead of spending a hundred million dollars we normally spend on the District of Columbia, we want to spend $250 million. That’s perfectly normal,” said one former General Services Administration official, making up the dollar amounts to illustrate their point. “What is not normal is the lack of transparency.”

According to agency documents seen by NOTUS, “The park service did not do extensive market research on whether the $5 million price was a fair one.”

“Due to the urgent nature of this requirement, market research was limited to available historical data and publicizing a special notice to SAM.gov,” the agency wrote in its award notice, which was posted online for just 6 days.

And while the Interior Department claimed that the contracted studio “is the only source capable of performing this requirement,” gilding experts who spoke with NOTUS don’t agree.

“There are others that are also qualified that were not contacted, which I’m rather surprised about, because there’s plenty of people that could also do the same quality work,” said leading gold-leaf supplier Peter Sepp.

According to NOTUS, "Several other contracting companies declined to comment, citing instructions from the NPS not to speak with the media. Multiple gilding experts declined to be named for fear of jeopardizing future relationships with the park service.”