Congressional Democrats are calling for investigations into the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a $16 million project that has been plagued by problems. The pool, which was drained and repainted as part of the renovation, has been experiencing an algae bloom and peeling paint.

Lawmakers Demand Answers

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has written a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the acting Park Service director, demanding answers about the no-bid contracts awarded to vendors with ties to President Trump. Blumenthal has accused the Trump administration of corruption and incompetence in the handling of the project.

The White House has blamed vandalism for the peeling paint, but has provided no evidence to support this claim. President Trump has said that the federal government will release images to substantiate the claim, but none have been made public.

Contractors with Ties to Trump

The two contractors awarded contracts for the renovation, Green Water Solutions and Atlantic Industrial Coatings, have ties to President Trump. Green Water Solutions was awarded a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system, while Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Democratic lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of awarding contracts to unqualified vendors with ties to the president, resulting in a poorly executed renovation. The Reflecting Pool is now empty and will likely remain so for the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, a testament to the administration’s incompetence, according to lawmakers.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.