Company owned by Trump donor won $1.7 million no-bid Reflecting Pool contract

The federal government awarded a $1.7 million no-bid contract to Green Water Solutions, a company owned by a donor to former President Trump, for a new water cleaning system at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The contract aims to address issues like algae blooms and peeling paint at the historic site.

John J. Cafaro, owner of the Ohio-based company, has a history of political donations to Republican candidates and conservative causes, including significant contributions to Trump's campaigns. Federal Election Commission records indicate he has also donated to Democrats. Cafaro has previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2010 and to conspiring to bribe a congressman nearly a decade earlier, for which he cooperated with prosecutors.

Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, specializes in water purification using a "Nano Bubble" filtration system. The company's website details its ability to remove algae, bacteria, and other contaminants. Federal records show one other government contract for Green Water Solutions: a $1 million feasibility study in 2025 for treating sewage flows in the Tijuana River. The company also posted on its LinkedIn page about performing water treatment work on a pond at a Trump Organization golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Inquiries to Cafaro and executives at Green Water Solutions did not yield a response regarding the contract. The New York Times was the first to report on Cafaro's involvement in the Reflecting Pool project. The Reflecting Pool, a century-old basin, has struggled with algae blooms for years, prompting President Trump's push for renovations.