A federal judge said he was not inclined to immediately stop the $300 million White House ballroom project, citing a lack of ‘irreparable harm’.
WASHINGTON: A federal judge said he was unlikely to immediately halt the Trump administration’s $300 million White House ballroom project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon made the remarks during a hearing on a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The judge said the plaintiffs had not shown that allowing work to proceed would cause “irreparable harm”.
He warned the government to limit construction to below-ground work not tied to a specific future design.
The lawsuit accuses President Donald Trump and federal agencies of starting the 90,000-square-foot project without legally required reviews.
The project involves the site of the demolished White House East Wing.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the project was “totally lawful” in a post on social media platform X.
Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust, said the group is committed to “advocating for compliance with the law”.
The organisation’s lawsuit claims the project has already caused “irreversible damage” to the White House and its grounds.
It argues no president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review.
The administration said the project was lawful and followed a long line of presidential renovations.
A government filing said the ballroom was needed for state functions and its design was still evolving.
Justice Department lawyer Adam Gustafson said there was nothing final about the ballroom plans.
He said the government intended to submit preliminary plans by the end of the month.
The lawsuit said Trump failed to gather public input and ignored statutes requiring consultation with specific commissions.
The National Trust said it sued to force compliance with procedural requirements that protect public comment.
Judge Leon said he would issue a formal order soon and hold another hearing in January. – Reuters
