White House looking to sell corporate sponsorships for Easter Egg Roll
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The White House is seeking corporate sponsors for this year's Easter egg roll — a 147-year-old tradition, CNN first reported.
Why it matters: Allowing businesses to use the White House to advertise their brands could upend long-standing precedents and regulations around the use of public office for private gain.
- U.S. regulations prohibit government employees from using their public offices for personal gain or "for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise."
- A former chief ethics lawyer who worked under President George W. Bush's administration told the New York Times that some in Trump's White House have argued the ethics laws do not apply to the president, but most commanders-in-chief have complied with some guidelines.
Financial backers can choose from three packages that cost between $75,000 and $200,000, according to a nine-page deck posted by the N.Y. Times.
- The most expensive option — Platinum — includes a 900-square-foot booth, tickets to a brunch hosted by First Lady Melania Trump and 150 tickets to the event (100 general admission + 50 VIP).
Between the lines: The effort is being conducted by the experiential event firm Harbinger, founded by GOP aides in 2013, The Times notes.
- The event is held largely without taxpayer dollars The American Egg Board donates tens of thousands of eggs but doesn't receive the type of publicity advertised in the sponsorship pitch.
- All the money raised will go to the White House Historical Association.
- The White House did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: The White House grounds' South Lawn became a temporary Tesla showroom earlier this month during a public intervention on behalf of administration ally Elon Musk. Musk has played an outsized influence since Trump took office as head of DOGE.
- Just before his inauguration, Trump announced his own meme coin, raising questions about whether it could be used to curry favor with the administration.
Go deeper: Dozens of companies get a pass from Trump administration, study finds
