White House sued by historic preservation group over ballroom plans
A nonprofit organization mandated by the U.S. Congress to help preserve historic sites has filed a lawsuit against the White House to stop construction of President Donald Trump’s new ballroom.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit Friday, alleging the White House failed to conduct proper inspections before demolishing the historic East Wing in October.
“No president is legally permitted to demolish portions of the White House without review—not President Trump, not President Joe Biden, nor anyone else,” the lawsuit states.
The White House called the project a “much-needed and excellent addition.”
The case represents the first major legal challenge to the ballroom project.
The organization is asking a federal court in Washington, D.C., to halt additional construction until the White House “complies with the law through legally mandated review processes,” including a public comment period, according to the statement.
“The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our nation and a globally recognized symbol of our strong American ideals,” said Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization established by congressional charter in 1949.
The group said it was “forced” to go to court after the White House ignored concerns it raised in October.
In the lawsuit, the group argues that the White House broke the law by starting construction without submitting plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, failing to require an environmental assessment of the project, and refusing to seek authorization from Congress.
It is also claimed that Trump violated the US Constitution, which “reserves the right to dispose of US property and to impose all rules relating thereto to Congress.”
“President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate and beautify the White House, just as his predecessors did,” the White House said in a statement Friday in response to the lawsuit. he said.
The East Wing was demolished in October to make way for the multi-million dollar ballroom, which Trump said was paid for by private donors.
The proposed plan has since expanded from a ballroom that could seat 500 people to a space that can accommodate 1,350 guests.
The White House had previously pledged that the construction plan would be evaluated by the National Capital Planning Commission before construction began, but the lawsuit alleges that the facility is already under extensive construction.
The lawsuit describes the White House grounds as “a bustling construction site where dozens of workers are driving piles, stacking materials and accumulating heavy machinery.”
“A tall construction crane was erected on the White House grounds last week, and President Trump said work on the Ballroom Project could be heard all night long.”
Last week, the White House replaced the architect who oversaw the project. The previous chief architect reportedly clashed with Trump officials over the size and scope of the addition.
