(MENAFN) Construction has officially commenced on US President Donald Trump's lavish new White House ballroom, a $250 million (£187 million) project, but uncertainty lingers over the identities of the wealthy donors and corporations funding it.

Excavation work began this Monday, as construction teams began dismantling parts of the East Wing to make room for the expansive 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) ballroom.

President Trump has claimed he will personally finance a significant portion of the project, while also suggesting that several anonymous benefactors are ready to contribute over $20 million to help bring the venture to completion.

This unconventional funding approach has raised alarms among some legal experts, who argue that it could be interpreted as a means to purchase influence with the administration.

Richard Painter, who served as chief ethics lawyer during George W. Bush's presidency from 2005 to 2007, expressed his concerns to the BBC, calling the ballroom "an ethics nightmare." He criticized the model as exploiting White House access to raise funds.

"These corporations all want something from the government," he remarked.

A dinner on October 15, held at the White House for potential contributors, saw the attendance of senior leaders from major US companies, including Blackstone, OpenAI, Microsoft, Coinbase, Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Amazon, and Google.

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