David Fahrenthold
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Investigative reporter for the New York Times, focused on nonprofits. Tips? DAF@nytimes.com
Articles by David Fahrenthold
Kristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Kristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left The Homeland Security Department signed a multi-million dollar agreement to buy five aircraft from a company owned by a political contributor of the secretary on her last day, documents show.
Why Did D.H.S. Buy These Planes?
new video loaded: Why Did D.H.S. Buy These Planes? Why Did D.H.S. Buy These Planes? Our investigative reporter David A. Fahrenthold explains his investigation into 10 planes the Department of Homeland Security bought from a donor to former D.H.S. Secretary Kristi Noem. By David A. Fahrenthold, Laura Bult, June Kim and Whitney Shefte October 4, 2026
Contractor blames its own repairs, not vandals, for reflecting pool failure
By DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD and MAXINE JOSELOW NYTimes News Service WASHINGTON — The contractor that renovated the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has told the Trump administration that errors in its own work and flaws in the repair plan, not vandalism, caused the pool’s new blue liner to peel and break loose, according to government documents reviewed by The New York Times.
Contractor blames its own repairs, not vandals, for Reflecting Pool failure
WASHINGTON — The contractor that renovated the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has told the Trump administration that errors in its own work and flaws in the repair plan, not vandalism, caused the pool’s new blue liner to peel and break loose, according to government documents reviewed by the New York Times.
Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Reflecting Pool Failure Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Reflecting Pool Failure The contractor said the pool’s new blue liner peeled and tore because of “human oversight” and a flawed plan that involved layering two incompatible chemicals, documents show.
Who Approves Trump’s Washington Makeover Projects?
Who Approves Trump’s Washington Makeover Projects? The Supreme Court gave a green light to the new White House ballroom, but several of the president’s other Washington projects remain stalled. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that President Trump could continue his construction of a huge new ballroom for the White House where the East Wing used to be.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times Sept.
Democratic Senators Ask Homeland Security for Details About Idled Planes The request follows a New York Times story, which revealed that Homeland Security had spent $464 million on used jets that rarely fly. A Boeing 737 that was purchased to be used for deportation flights is parked at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, La., on July 25.Credit...Kathleen Flynn for The New York Times Aug.
Democratic Senators Ask Homeland Security for Details About Idled Planes
18 hours ago FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) quietly arrested more than 1,000 illegal immigrants in the Washington, D.C., region in what federal sources said was one of the agency’s most successful operations to date. Multiple ICE sources told Fox News that the agency arrested 1,328 …
Trump Administration Live Updates: Canada to Announce Retaliatory Tariffs as Trade War Escalates Original
A Boeing 737 that was purchased to be used for deportation flights is parked at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, La., on July 25.Credit...Kathleen Flynn for The New York Times Three Senate Democrats on Tuesday sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, asking for more information about the department’s purchase of 10 used jets for $464 million.
EE. UU. pagó 464 millones de dólares por aviones. Luego los estacionó
La agencia de Seguridad utilizó un contrato sin licitación para comprar 10 aviones usados, diciendo que se necesitaban con urgencia para vuelos de deportación. Pero durante meses, en gran medida, la flota ha permanecido inactiva. Sigue a en Discover: los temas que te gustan, directo y al instante. Un avión de pasajeros Boeing 737 comprado por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional estacionado el mes pasado en el Aeropuerto Internacional Chennault en Lake Charles, Luisiana.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.
Ivanka Trump Now BBC seeks to subpoena Trump family members in defamation suit POLITICO - By Josh Gerstein • 14m The British broadcaster says Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have relevant knowledge about the president’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.
WASHINGTON -- Starting last fall, the Department of Homeland Security spent $464 million on a no-bid contract to buy 10 used airplanes from a firm in northern Virginia. That was an enormous price tag, but the department said it had no time to consider other offers. The planes were needed urgently for deportation flights. But since then, the department has barely used this new fleet -- for deportations, or anything else. Three of the aircraft are luxury business jets.
Homeland Security paid $464 million for airplanes. Then it parked them
WASHINGTON — Starting last fall, the Department of Homeland Security spent $464 million on a no-bid contract to buy 10 used airplanes from a firm in northern Virginia. That was an enormous price tag, but the department said it had no time to consider other offers. The planes were needed urgently for deportation flights. But since then, the department has barely used this new fleet — for deportations, or anything else. Three of the aircraft are luxury business jets.
Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU. pagó 464 millones de dólares por aviones. Luego los estacionó
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU. pagó 464 millones de dólares por aviones. Luego los estacionó La agencia utilizó un contrato sin licitación para comprar 10 aviones usados, diciendo que se necesitaban con urgencia para vuelos de deportación. Pero durante meses, en gran medida, la flota ha permanecido inactiva.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them. The agency used a no-bid contract to buy 10 used jets, saying they were urgently needed for deportation flights. But the fleet has largely sat idle for months. A Boeing 737 passenger jet purchased by the Department of Homeland Security parked last month at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, La.Credit...Kathleen Flynn for The New York Times Aug.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.
(Times Exclusive) WASHINGTON -- Starting last fall, the Department of Homeland Security spent $464 million on a no-bid contract to buy 10 used airplanes from a firm in northern Virginia. That was an enormous price tag, but the department said it had no time to consider other offers. The planes were needed urgently for deportation flights. But since then, the department has barely used this new fleet -- for deportations, or anything else. Three of the aircraft are luxury business jets.
Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.
WASHINGTON -- Starting last fall, the Department of Homeland Security spent $464 million on a no-bid contract to buy 10 used airplanes from a firm in northern Virginia. That was an enormous price tag, but the department said it had no time to consider other offers. The planes were needed urgently for deportation flights. But since then, the department has barely used this new fleet -- for deportations, or anything else. Three of the aircraft are luxury business jets.
Trump Concedes There Was ‘Some Contractor Error’ at Reflecting Pool
7 hours ago One sponsor calls motorcycles a “symbol of freedom.” Safety experts say scrapping the helmet mandate would come at a deadly cost. Two Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation that would prohibit Washington from requiring motorcyclists to wear a helmet, raising concerns among road safety …
Trump Concedes There Was ‘Some Contractor Error’ at Reflecting Pool Original
President Trump on Sunday said on social media that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s problems were caused in part by “some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening.” It was a change in rhetoric for the president, who had spent weeks falsely blaming the pool’s problems on vandals. The Trump administration’s efforts to rush through repairs to the pool, a national landmark, ended in disaster earlier this year.
O Espelho de Água que reflete a Washington falhada de Trump
Numa entrevista, Jarboe afirma ter conversado pela primeira vez em março com Schutzenhofer, que deixou claro que o trabalho teria de ser feito à pressa. Segundo Jarboe, disseram-lhe que o Presidente Donald Trump queria o projeto de renovação concluído a tempo do 250.º aniversário do país, no passado dia 4 de julho.
How the Reflecting Pool came to mirror Trump’s Washington
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... WASHINGTON — In January, the World of Concrete trade show drew 47,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of them was the manager of a Trump Organization golf club in New Jersey, who had come seeking help with an enormous, unfamiliar task. The manager, David Schutzenhofer, wanted ideas for how to fix the leaking, algae-ridden Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
El estanque reflectante es el reflejo del Washington de Trump
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. En enero, la feria comercial World of Concrete atrajo a 47.000 personas al Centro de Convenciones de Las Vegas. Una de ellas era el gerente de un club de golf de la Organización Trump en Nueva Jersey, quien había acudido en busca de ayuda para una tarea enorme y desconocida.
How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump's Washington
(Times Investigation) WASHINGTON -- In January, the World of Concrete trade show drew 47,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of them was the manager of a Trump Organization golf club in New Jersey, who had come seeking help with an enormous, unfamiliar task. The manager, David Schutzenhofer, wanted ideas for how to fix the leaking, algae-ridden Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington
In January, the World of Concrete trade show drew 47,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of them was the manager of a Trump Organization golf club in New Jersey, who had come seeking help with an enormous, unfamiliar task. The manager, David Schutzenhofer, wanted ideas for how to fix the leaking, algae-ridden Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington
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11 hours ago Piecemeal price cuts won’t solve the Iran war’s effects on inflation. At this year’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Donald Trump told a room full of the world’s most prominent CEOs about a routine that he performs when he meets a successful businessperson: This is how Trump has long …
By Maxine Joselow Verified, David Fahrenthold Verified, Tyler Pager Verified, Clarence Williams Verified
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How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump's Washington
(Times Investigation) WASHINGTON -- In January, the World of Concrete trade show drew 47,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of them was the manager of a Trump Organization golf club in New Jersey, who had come seeking help with an enormous, unfamiliar task. The manager, David Schutzenhofer, wanted ideas for how to fix the leaking, algae-ridden Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
Workers Disassemble Parts of Trump’s White House Helipad, Photos Show Original
President Trump has been building a huge new helipad at the White House. But on Tuesday, workers seemed to be reversing course on the project. As of last week, the helipad appeared to be nearing completion. After starting work in June, workers had built a circle 100 feet in diameter in the middle of the green expanse of the South Lawn. They were starting to add the finishing touches in granite, laying out the lettering of the presidential seal along the edge of the pad.
Charges Dropped in Reflecting Pool Case as Prosecutors Admit Work Was ‘Botched’
ALSO SEE: Reflecting Pool Peeling Probably Caused by Application Flaws, Experts Say A former Olympian will not face trial after federal prosecutors acknowledged that the Trump administration’s claims of vandalism were false.
Charges Dropped in Reflecting Pool Case as Prosecutors Say Work Was 'Botched'
Federal prosecutors on Friday said contractors hired by the Trump administration had botched the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, leaving behind "widespread damage" in the pool's new blue lining, and that the Interior Department had then falsely blamed that damage on vandals.
Charges Dropped in Reflecting Pool Case as Prosecutors Say Work Was ‘Botched’
Federal prosecutors on Friday acknowledged that contractors hired by the Trump administration had “botched” the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and sought to drop charges against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist who was one of several people accused of vandalizing the landmark.
FBI Evidence Team Visits Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
An FBI evidence-gathering team visited the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Wednesday afternoon after the landmark was drained so that crews could repair peeling sections of its newly installed blue lining. Photos taken by a New York Times photographer showed people wearing FBI insignia and standing on the dry, grime-covered pool floor. They appeared to be documenting the scene in detail, with some using laser-scanning and measuring equipment.
F.B.I. Evidence Team Visits Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
F.B.I. Evidence Team Visits Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Officials surveyed the newly drained pool, where the floor began peeling soon after a $16 million repair job. President Trump has blamed vandals.
F.B.I. Evidence Team Visits Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
4 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) — The newly drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective coating in a color President Donald Trump called “American flag blue” this spring. An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off …
A Firm Run by Trump Allies is Organizing the 250th. Their Fee? Unclear. Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. A Firm Run by Trump Allies is Organizing the 250th. Their Fee? Unclear. Event Strategies, Inc., a longtime vendor to President Trump’s campaigns, is organizing the Great American State Fair and the July 4 celebrations.
A Firm Run by Trump Allies is Organizing the 250th. Their Fee? Unclear.
WASHINGTON -- A company with deep ties to President Donald Trump is organizing some of the biggest events in Washington this weekend, including the Great American State Fair and the record-breaking fireworks display planned for Saturday. Those events will be funded, in part, by $68 million in taxpayer money. But because the Trump administration has routed those funds through an opaque nonprofit, it is unclear how much the company close to the president will receive.
Heroes Seen Through a Narrow Lens
To celebrate America's 250th birthday, the Trump administration spent $14 million to build six identical museums called "Freedom Trucks." kAm%96 ECF4<D 92G6 366? E@FC:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ D:?46 y2?F2CJ[ @7E6? DE@AA:?8 2E D49@@=D 2?5 DE2E6 72:CD] %96J 2C6 7C66 E@ G:D:E 2?5 92G6 DE@AD A=2??65 E9C@F89 E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am kAm%96 >FD6F>D[ 56D:8?65 3J 4@?D6CG2E:G6 ?@?AC@7:ED 2?5 %CF>A 2AA@:?E66D[ E6== E96 DE@CJ @7 62C=J p>6C:42[ 7C@> 4@=@?:K2E:@? E@ C6G@=FE:@?] %96 @?6 6I9:3:E:@?
What to Know About Trump’s Claims of Vandalism at the Reflecting Pool
Washington (D.C.) 3 hours ago Trump Claims People ‘Vandalized’ Reflecting Pool by Dumping Fertilizer in Water: ‘They Caught ‘Em’ People - Joseph Konig • 3h President Donald Trump has deployed federal police and the National Guard to protect the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as he and his administration claim vandals are targeting its newly renovated liner with knives and — in his latest allegation — fertilizer.
What to Know About Trump’s Claims of Vandalism at the Reflecting Pool Original
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was supposed to be the centerpiece of President Trump’s makeover of Washington. His administration spent $16.4 million on its renovation, giving out no-bid contracts to improve its filtration system and to spread blue waterproof coating across its large concrete floor. But just days after the pool was largely refilled with water on June 5, problems appeared. The water turned bright green. The new blue coating peeled and floated to the surface.
Trump dice que unos vándalos dañaron el estanque reflectante. Unos documentos internos cuentan otra historia
Los trabajadores del Servicio de Parques Nacionales encontraron cortes en secciones de espuma, pero no estaban relacionados con el revestimiento ni con las algas. El presidente Donald Trump dice que el revestimiento azul que se está desprendiendo y las floraciones de algas que menoscaban la renovación de 16,4 millones de dólares del estanque reflectante del Monumento a Lincoln son culpa de vándalos con "cuchillos" en "plena noche".
Trump dice que unos vándalos dañaron el estanque reflectante. Unos documentos internos cuentan otra historia
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Trump dice que unos vándalos dañaron el estanque reflectante. Unos documentos internos cuentan otra historia Los trabajadores del Servicio de Parques Nacionales encontraron cortes en secciones de espuma, pero no estaban relacionados con el revestimiento ni con las algas.
Trump says vandals hit the reflecting pool. Internal records tell a more complex story
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Maxine Joselow and David A.
Trump Says Vandals Hit the Reflecting Pool. Internal Records Tell a More Complex Story.
7 hours ago Reflecting Pool chaos: The Independent reports from the iconic site The Independent - Andrew Feinberg • 7h The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, newly renovated at a cost of $14m, is set to be drained again just weeks after reopening. The six-week-long project saw the pool drained before having its resurface repainted in an “American flag blue”, as per the wishes of Donald Trump.
Trump Says Vandals Sabotaged the Reflecting Pool. Internal Documents Raise Doubts.
Trump Says Vandals Sabotaged the Reflecting Pool. Internal Documents Raise Doubts. The documents do not indicate that the peeling blue coating and algae blooms were caused intentionally. The reflecting pool, seen from the Washington Monument, with workers attempting to contain the algae on Sunday.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times Maxine Joselow, a climate reporter who covers the Interior Department, and David A.
Trump Says Vandals Hit the Reflecting Pool. Internal Records Tell a More Complex Story.
President Donald Trump says the peeling blue coating and algae blooms that mar his $16.4 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool are the fault of vandals working with "knives" in the "dark of night." But government documents obtained by The New York Times show that while National Park Service workers found two cuts in sections of foam between the pool's expansion joints, those were not directly related to the "American flag blue" coating that is now peeling, or to the algae...
Trump Blames Vandals for Reflecting Pool Problems. Internal Records Tell Another Story.
6 hours ago The project now has a $16 million price tag and faces new scrutiny, vandalism accusations and a desired July Fourth completion date. The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall was supposed to get a face-lift to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Instead, it’s become a political talking point as …
Firm Tied to Trump Donor Got No-Bid Contract to Clean Reflecting Pool
WASHINGTON — A business tied to a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump was given a no-bid contract to install a water-purification system in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool earlier this spring. Now that work is coming under scrutiny after algae blooms have come back and turned the iconic pool in Washington a vibrant shade of green rather than the American-flag blue Trump says he chose.
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