Overview
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit in Washington seeking a court order to pause the White House ballroom project until design, environmental, and congressional reviews occur.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon set a hearing for Tuesday to consider a temporary order stopping further work.
- The complaint alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, citing the lack of consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts and the absence of congressional authorization.
- Plans call for a roughly 90,000-square-foot, $300 million ballroom funded by private donors, with the East Wing already demolished to clear the site.
- The White House says the president has legal authority to renovate the residence, contends vertical construction has not begun, and indicates plans will be submitted to the NCPC in December.