Democratic Donors Refuse to Fund Biden’s Presidential Library, One Demands $800,000 Refund

The scope of Biden’s ambition seems modest enough—a $200 to $300 million library to be built in Delaware, far less than Barack Obama’s $850 million Chicago monument or the extensive preparations already underway for Donald Trump’s future library. Biden has assembled a 13-person governance board, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and longtime adviser Steve Ricchetti, with fundraiser Rufus Gifford serving as chairman. They envision an “immersive museum” and center for civic engagement.

Yet when Biden’s team reaches out to the Democratic Party’s most reliable checkbooks, they’re hearing two words that once seemed unthinkable: “No way.” That’s the exact response one former Biden bundler and administration official gave to NBC News when asked about contributing. Another major donor was equally blunt about the library fundraising efforts, saying simply, “I just don’t see that’s where I’m going to spend my money.”

“I want an $800,000 refund,” said John Morgan, a Florida-based personal injury lawyer. He was referring to the nearly $1 million he said he raised for Biden that went to then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year, after she assumed Biden’s role as the Democratic presidential nominee. “I don’t believe a library will ever be built unless it’s a bookmobile from the old days.”