The planning of America’s 250th anniversary has produced two distinct waves of America 250 lawsuits: an earlier round centered on discrimination and alleged financial mismanagement at the congressionally chartered America250 Foundation, and a newer cluster targeting the Trump administration’s parallel Freedom 250 initiative over its use of federal property, taxpayer money, and no-bid contracts.
The Buchard Discrimination and False Claims Suit
In February 2022, four former female executives of the America250 Foundation sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs were Renee Buchard, former chief administration officer and chief of staff; Kirsti Garlock, former chief legal officer; Anna Laymon, a former vice president of programs and planning; and Keri Potts, a former vice president of communications and public relations. The complaint in Buchard v. America 250 Foundation named the foundation, the American Battlefield Trust, and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission as defendants, together with individuals Daniel DiLella, Frank Giordano, and Rosie Rios.
The suit alleged a “sexist and toxic work environment” and described the foundation as a “boys club” that pushed the women out of their jobs. It also accused DiLella, then the commission’s chairman, of misspending federal funds by steering contracts to friends and business associates. DiLella denied the allegations. The case was brought under the False Claims Act and also raised civil rights claims.
At the time of their resignations, the four plaintiffs were the only female executives who had worked at the foundation, and more than 10 women in total left the organization during the period at issue. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed DiLella, Giordano, and Rios as individual defendants in November 2022. In September 2023, Judge Jia M. Cobb dismissed the commission and the American Battlefield Trust from the case and threw out two specific counts against the foundation, letting the remaining claims proceed. A notice of settlement was filed on January 6, 2025.
DiLella and Giordano’s Suit Against Fellow Commissioners
A separate action ran in the opposite direction. DiLella and Frank Giordano, the commission’s former executive director, sued three fellow commissioners in Philadelphia state court, alleging the defendants conspired to remove them from their leadership roles. Their attorney, George Bochetto, called the alleged conduct a “cabal” driven by “half-truths, mistruths, contortions of circumstances and rank jealousy.” The suit sought at least $50,000 in damages.
What the First Wave Cost the Anniversary Project
The litigation and surrounding allegations had immediate consequences. Meta Platforms, which had signed on in June 2021 as the exclusive “social connectivity” sponsor in a $10 million deal, announced in March 2022 that it would review its ties to the commission and foundation. By June 2022 Meta had pulled out entirely, having paid only $2 million of the pledged amount. It was the project’s only corporate sponsor at the time.
Leadership turned over as well. DiLella was replaced as commission chair by Rosie Rios in July 2022, though he remained on the board. Foundation CEO Joe Daniels resigned on October 2, 2022, after one year in the role; Rios cited “differing philosophies concerning the role of the Foundation.” Tony Rucci returned as interim CEO. A congressional appropriations bill proposed redirecting $1 million of the commission’s federal funding to audit and investigate its operations.
The UFC South Lawn Lawsuit
The second wave of litigation followed the Trump administration’s launch of Freedom 250, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organized through an executive order creating “Task Force 250” with the president as chair and Vice President JD Vance as vice chair. Freedom 250 is not subject to congressional oversight, unlike the America250 commission.
On June 7, 2026, a watchdog group called the Public Integrity Project sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block a UFC fight scheduled for the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, Trump’s 80th birthday. The suit was brought on behalf of Susan Douglas, an activist, and Paul Romano, a Vietnam War veteran, and named the National Park Service, the Interior Department, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum as defendants. It argued the event violated National Park Service regulations and used public property for a private, for-profit event without congressional approval.
Judge Amit Mehta denied the emergency restraining order. He ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing, had not shown irreparable harm, and had waited too long to file, given that event preparations had been visibly underway for weeks. The court noted that the UFC had committed to spending $700,000 to restore the South Lawn afterward.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Lawsuit
On May 11, 2026, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit, sued the National Park Service, the Interior Department, and Secretary Burgum in the same court. The suit challenged plans to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American Flag Blue” and install a new filtration system as part of Freedom 250 preparations. The foundation argued the project violated Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal review before altering sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The reflecting pool sits within the National Mall Historic District. The foundation asked the court to halt the work until the required review was completed.
PEER’s FOIA Suit and the $150 Million Question
Also on May 11, 2026, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility sued the Interior Department in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the agency failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests filed in February 2026. PEER alleged that Freedom 250 was “diverting $100 million in taxpayer funds from America250 without congressional approval.”
The FOIA requests sought records of any transfer of funds between America250 and Freedom 250, communications between Interior leadership and Freedom 250, documentation of how Interior staff and National Park Service resources were supporting the private entity, and any agreements governing that relationship. Congress allocated $150 million in federal funds for 250th anniversary events, with the Interior Department responsible for distributing the money. The authorizing legislation does not specifically name either America250 or Freedom 250 as the recipient.
Congressional Investigations Running Alongside the Suits
Two Senate inquiries have paralleled the litigation. On February 12, 2026, Senators Adam Schiff, Elizabeth Warren, and five colleagues wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles demanding information about Freedom 250’s fundraising. The senators alleged the group was offering donors who contributed $1 million or more perks including private dinners with the president, VIP event access, and ceremonial roles, an arrangement they said could violate federal bribery and ethics laws. The letter asked for a full donor list, details on the role of fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke, and records of any ethics guidance sought.
The White House did not substantively respond, and a spokesperson called the inquiry partisan. Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said the group had not accepted foreign donations. Jeff Reinbold, CEO of the National Park Foundation, said donors would be disclosed in 2027 tax filings, excluding those who requested anonymity.
On June 17, 2026, Senators Schiff, Warren, Richard Blumenthal, and Peter Welch sent a separate letter questioning whether the administration had subverted federal contracting rules to benefit Event Strategies Inc., the firm handling much of Freedom 250’s event planning. Lawmakers said ESI had received over $22 million in federal contracts since Trump’s second term began in January 2025, including more than $7 million in low-competition contracts tied to anniversary events. Between 2008 and 2021, the firm had received less than $4 million in federal contracts. Justin Caporale, ESI’s former CEO, now serves as executive producer for major events in the Executive Office of the President. He previously managed the January 6, 2021, “March to Save America” rally on the Ellipse.