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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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Democratic lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into whether personal information collected from Americans attending events tied to the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations could be used to help President Donald Trump and his political allies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Representative Jared Huffman of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and Representative Joe Morelle of New York have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate Freedom 250, a Trump-backed organization that played a major role in organizing semiquincentennial celebrations this year.
GAO spokesperson Sarah Kaczmarek told Newsweek: "I can confirm that GAO has received this congressional request. GAO has a process it goes through to determine whether we do work and when, which we are working through right now."
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The request follows what Huffman described as a months-long investigation conducted by Democratic members and staff on the House Natural Resources Committee into Freedom 250's operations and its relationship with America250, the congressionally chartered commission established to oversee celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Newsweek has reached out to Freedom 250, the White House, Campaign Nucleus, Brad Parscale, Dyspatchit, Ace Specialties and WinRed for comment.
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What Is the Investigation Into Trump and Freedom 250?
House Democrats are seeking a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into whether personal information collected through Freedom 250 events could potentially be used to benefit Trump and his political allies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In a letter sent to the GAO on September 8, Huffman and Morelle argued that data collected from Americans attending Freedom 250 events may have been gathered through systems connected to Trump's political network.
"Based on our preliminary findings, President Trump and his allies are in a position to use information on American voters, harvested with taxpayer money and government resources, in an attempt to tip the scales in the upcoming midterm elections," the lawmakers wrote.
Huffman and Morelle have asked the GAO to determine where the information is stored, who controls it, and whether safeguards exist to prevent it from being shared with Republican political organizations or Trump-aligned political action committees.
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What Are the Data Collection Allegations?
According to lawmakers Huffman and Morelle, Americans who registered for free tickets to Freedom 250 events were asked to submit personal information including their names, email addresses, phone numbers and ZIP codes.
The investigation alleges that those registrations were processed through Campaign Nucleus, a digital platform owned by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.
According to the lawmakers' letter, a second Parscale-linked company, Dyspatchit, handled Freedom 250's email and text messaging operations, while Ace Specialties—best known for making the iconic "Make America Great Again" hats—operated the organization's official merchandise store. The lawmakers say those activities potentially gave the companies access to additional contact, billing and mailing information from attendees and customers.
Huffman and Morelle's letter also alleges that Freedom 250 asked Americans registering for free July 4 event tickets to consent to receiving alerts and donation requests, and that registrants were later sent links to a Trump-branded fundraising page hosted by WinRed, according to the lawmakers' letter. The lawmakers have asked the GAO to examine whether safeguards existed to prevent information collected through Freedom 250 activities from being shared with political organizations.
The letter argued that such information, if combined with other voter data, could become a valuable political asset heading into November's elections.
"A national contact list assembled at taxpayer expense, enriched with geolocation and behavioral data and scored for persuadability, is an asset of extraordinary value to a party heading into a midterm election," the lawmakers wrote.
Freedom 250's privacy policy states that the organization collects personal information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses and payment information submitted through its website. The policy also says the organization may collect geographic location data, including ZIP codes and other location information, and may share information with vendors and contractors supporting its operations. The organization says it does not "share, rent or sell" personal information collected through its website except in circumstances outlined in the policy.
The privacy policy also states that third-party vendors and contractors are required to keep information confidential and may only use it for specified purposes. Freedom 250 further says it has implemented security measures to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of information.
Huffman and Morelle's request does not present evidence that personal information collected through Freedom 250 was transferred to political campaigns or used in elections. Instead, the lawmakers are asking the GAO to investigate who controls the data and whether safeguards exist to prevent such use.
What Is Freedom 250?
Freedom 250 was launched by Trump in December 2025 as what it described as a "national, non-partisan organization" that would lead celebrations surrounding the 250th anniversary of American independence. The organization coordinated major semiquincentennial events throughout 2026 and said its mission was to unite Americans around the nation's history and future.
Keith Krach, a businessman and former under secretary of state during Trump's first administration, was appointed chief executive officer of Freedom 250 when the initiative was launched.
Democrats have previously accused the organization of sidelining the congressionally chartered America250 commission, while Freedom 250 has characterized criticism of its activities as politically motivated.
What Is the Difference Between America250 and Freedom 250?
America250 and Freedom 250 were both involved in activities marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, but they are separate organizations with different origins and structures.
America250 is the congressionally established effort created to help plan and coordinate the nation's semiquincentennial celebrations. The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission was established by Congress in 2016 and works with the nonprofit America250 organization on anniversary programming and public engagement.
Freedom 250 was launched by Trump in December 2025 as a separate organization focused on leading major anniversary events and initiatives during the 250th birthday celebrations.
Who Is Brad Parscale?
Parscale served as digital director for Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign and later managed Trump's 2020 reelection campaign before stepping down months before Election Day. He is the founder of Campaign Nucleus, a Republican-oriented voter engagement and campaign technology platform used by candidates, political committees and advocacy groups.
Huffman and Morelle's letter alleges Freedom 250's event registration system relied on Campaign Nucleus technology, raising concerns among Democrats about whether information collected during government-backed anniversary celebrations could be combined with political data infrastructure.
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What Is the House Natural Resources Committee?
The House Natural Resources Committee is a congressional committee that oversees issues including public lands, energy development, tribal affairs, wildlife, oceans and matters involving the Department of the Interior and National Park Service. The committee also conducts oversight investigations within its jurisdiction.
Huffman, the committee's ranking Democrat, has led an investigation into Freedom 250 for several months. In July, Democratic committee staff released an interim report alleging that Freedom 250 had improperly taken control of much of the federal funding and planning associated with America's 250th birthday celebrations.
Update 09/09/26, 08:20 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional comment from the GAO.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang
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