STIFFED BY OBAMA: Subcontractor Forced to Close Business

A Chicago plumbing company that helped build the Obama Presidential Center has shut down and laid off 25 union workers after saying it never got paid nearly $4 million it was owed.

Story Snapshot

Adamson Plumbing Contractors owner Mike Owen says his firm is still owed close to $4 million for work on the Obama Presidential Center.
The company suspended operations and let go of 25 union workers after the money did not arrive as promised.
Adamson filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the property, a legal claim that money is owed for labor.
Other subcontractors on the project also say they have not been paid, and some claim non-disclosure agreements kept them quiet.

A Family Business Left Holding the Bag

Mike Owen, president and owner of Adamson Plumbing Contractors, spent years on the Obama Presidential Center project in Chicago. He told Fox News his company is still owed nearly $4 million for the work it finished. That unpaid balance, he says, pushed his business to the breaking point just weeks after the center’s star-studded grand opening in June.

🇺🇸A Chicago plumbing subcontractor has shut down and laid off 25 workers after claiming it is still owed nearly $4 million for work on the Obama Presidential Center.

Adamson Plumbing filed a $1.72 million lien and said unpaid bills forced the company to the brink of collapse… pic.twitter.com/3TznnxlVwT

— NewsForce (@Newsforce) July 23, 2026

The Washington Times reports Adamson has now suspended operations entirely and laid off 25 union workers because of the financial fallout. Owen said the losses tied to delays, rework, and shifting demands on the project totaled $3.9 million, even before the center opened its doors to the public.

A Lien, A Last-Minute Deal, and A Broken Promise

Adamson, working under the name Marsh-Adamson, filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the property, a formal legal step showing money is due for labor supplied. Owen also said his company agreed to send two plumbers for overnight work right before the June 19 opening in exchange for a partial payment. That payment never showed up on time, and Adamson suspended operations six days later, on June 25.

Fox News and the fact-checking outlet FactCheck.org both describe Owen as one of the few subcontractors on this project willing to speak publicly and put his name behind the claim. That matters. Plenty of workers on big construction jobs stay quiet out of fear it will cost them future contracts. Owen chose to go on record anyway.

He Is Not the Only One Saying He Got Stiffed

Owen’s complaint fits a wider pattern on this project. The construction trade publication ENR reported that several trade contractors say they have not been paid for change orders and other completed work, and that communication with the Obama Foundation “has largely broken down”. Fox News has separately reported subcontractors describing millions in unpaid work tied to the center.

Some subcontractors reportedly stayed silent because of non-disclosure agreements, according to Fox News reporting. That detail deserves attention. If workers who built a $1 billion project meant to celebrate opportunity and inclusion are being legally muzzled from describing how they got treated, that raises real questions about accountability, regardless of one’s politics.

Who Actually Owes the Money?

The picture gets murkier once you ask who is legally responsible. FactCheck.org reports the Obama Foundation says it has no outstanding disputed charges with Lakeside Alliance, the construction manager, and no direct legal agreements with subcontractors like Adamson. The Foundation reportedly points to Lakeside Alliance as holding “primary responsibility” for paying subcontractors.

That layered contracting setup, common on huge construction jobs, can make it hard for the public to see who truly owes whom. The Foundation pays the construction manager, which pays subcontractors. When money stalls, responsibility can get passed around instead of resolved. It is worth remembering the project was promoted as a boost for minority-owned businesses in Chicago, which raises the stakes when a company says it got shut out of payment.

No Lawsuit Yet, But the Pressure Is Building

As of the reporting available, Adamson has not filed a lawsuit, according to FactCheck.org. That means the dispute has not yet gone through the discovery process or been tested under oath in court. A lien and a public statement carry weight, but they are not the same as a judge’s ruling. Still, 25 laid-off union workers and a shuttered family business are not abstractions. They are real consequences from a real dispute, whatever a courtroom eventually decides.

🇺🇸A Chicago plumbing subcontractor has shut down and laid off 25 workers after claiming it is still owed nearly $4 million for work on the Obama Presidential Center.

Adamson Plumbing filed a $1.72 million lien and said unpaid bills forced the company to the brink of collapse… pic.twitter.com/3TznnxlVwT

— NewsForce (@Newsforce) July 23, 2026

Taxpayers and Chicago residents watching this unfold deserve a clear accounting of who was promised what, and why the money didn’t move. A presidential center built to honor public service should not leave the tradesmen who built it chasing paychecks and shutting their doors.