New Delhi, June 10 -- Companies that donated to President Donald Trump's $400 million White House ballroom renovation project have collectively received more than $50 billion in new or expanded federal contracts in the six months since construction began, according to a report by watchdog group Public Citizen, which says the pattern raises fundamental questions about conflicts of interest in the federal contracting process.

A Public Citizen analysis of 27 known corporate donors found that 14 had received new or increased government contracts over the six-month period, with the combined value exceeding $50 billion. Of those 27, 21 were disclosed by the White House; six more were identified by news organisations.

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