A federal judge declined to stop President Donald Trump's plan to build a $400 million White House ballroom at the site of the since-demolished East Wing, saying preservationists who are challenging the move failed to meet the high bar to halt the project for now.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon's ruling comes after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December against Trump and several federal agencies asking to stop construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The non-profitgroup argued that Trump should have sought Congress' authorization prior to the demolition of the East Wing.
The White House announced the project in July and by October had launched a sudden and complete clearing of the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, sparking concern from critics, preservationists and a few former residents, including former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.
During a hearing last month, Leon questioned whether the president has the authority to level the East Wing and construct the ballroom using a deliberately complicated funding setup with private money while circumventing congressional authorization.
Trump’s team countered in court that the president did not need approval from lawmakers because the project is not using taxpayer dollars and instead is being funded by private donation.
