Federal Lawsuit Asks Judge To Stop Construction of Trump’s New Ballroom

A Virginia couple is suing to stop President Trump from building his new White House ballroom, arguing he is acting without the proper authorization.

Earlier this week, videos surfaced on social media showing the East Wing of the White House being demolished to make way for the new ballroom, which the president estimates will cost about $300 million. The move sparked outrage and calls for oversight of the construction project.

On Thursday, Charles and Judith Vorhees, a Virginia couple, filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to “halt defendants’ destruction of the East Wing.” However, a picture taken from a passenger on a flight out of Washington appeared to show that the East Wing and its colonnade have already been almost entirely demolished.

The complaint also asks the judge to stop construction of the planned ballroom, arguing that it is being done “without legally required approvals or reviews.” Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that the project violates the National Capital Planning Act of 1952 and the National Historic Preservation Act, although the latter exempts the White House, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Capitol from its provisions.

“Defendants are unilaterally decoupling the demolition of the East Wing of the White House from the construction approval process to expedite the project, effectively bypassing the historic preservation and planning reviews required under federal law for a project of this magnitude on a protected national landmark,” the complaint states.

A White House spokesman, Davis Ingle, told the Sun, “President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House just like all of his predecessors did.”

The White House says it will send its plans to the federal government’s central planning agency, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). However, it defended its decision to knock down the East Wing, saying the NCPC does not have jurisdiction over demolition.

While the NCPC is expected to review the plans for the ballroom, it does not have the authority to reject them and can only offer nonbinding recommendations.

The White House also says the construction of the ballroom is being paid for through private donations, not taxpayer dollars.

It is unclear whether the judge will find that the Vorhees have standing to sue, so the complaint may not make it very far. However, it marks the first formal attempt to stop the construction of the ballroom.
https://www.nysun.com/article/federal-lawsuit-asks-judge-to-stop-construction-of-trumps-new-ballroom

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