President Donald Trump is facing legal action over the recent demolition of the White House’s East Wing.
The emergency motion was filed by Virginia couple Charles and Judith Voorhees in federal court on Thursday.
Donald Trump sued over demolition of White House’s East Wing
What they’re saying:
The couple is seeking to halt the project, alleging that it violates multiple federal preservation and planning laws.
The document alleges that the construction of the new ballroom is being conducted “without legally required approvals or reviews.”
The defendants are listed as Trump, in his official capacity, and Jessica Brown, director of the National Park Service.
The motion also says that the defendants are violating the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 by not identifying and evaluating the historic property, assessing the project’s effects on that property, and consulting with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to mitigate any adverse effects before the project proceeds.
The couple is seeking a temporary restraining order from further destroying any portion of the White House until demolition and construction plans can be reviewed and the public review process is completed.
White House responds to criticism of Trump’s plan
What they’re saying:
The White House has been pushing back against criticism of the ballroom plan and elimination of the East Wing by noting the history of add-ons to the Executive Mansion during its more than 200-year existence.
RELATED: PHOTOS: Trump’s Ballroom renderings show structure nearly twice the size of the White House
A White House spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday that President Trump has “full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify” the building.
Preservationists urge Trump to halt demolition
The other side:
Preservationists had urged the Trump administration to halt the demolition, for which approval was not required, Leavitt said Thursday, until plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom could go through the required public review process.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation said the review process, which includes public comment, would “provide a crucial opportunity for transparency and broad engagement — values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design.”
White House demolition begins for East Wing ballroom project
The White House on Monday began demolishing part of the East Wing, the traditional home to the first lady’s offices, to make way for President Donald Trump’s proposed $250 million ballroom despite not having construction approval from the federal agency that oversees such projects.
In a letter, the Trust also expressed concern to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service and the Commission of Fine Arts that the size of the proposed ballroom will overwhelm the Executive Mansion, which stands at 55,000 square feet and may permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House.
Both commissions have jurisdiction over changes to the White House. The Park Service manages the White House grounds and has a role in the process as several trees on the South Lawn have been cut down as part of the construction. Both agencies currently are closed because of the government shutdown.
Hearing date in case unknown
What’s next:
A federal judge in Washington D.C. will decide next whether to grant the temporary restraining order sought by the couple.
No hearing date has been set in the case, but if this proceeds, most of the East Wing has already been demolished, making this lawsuit largely symbolic.
East Wing history
Big picture view:
The East Wing, which is across East Executive Avenue from the Treasury Department, has been the traditional base of operations for the first lady and her staff, along with the social office, military office and the visitors office, among others. Those operations have been temporarily relocated to workspace elsewhere on the White House campus.
The East Wing is where visitors entered for public tours and to attend events, such as White House state dinners, holiday and other receptions, and events featuring the president. Tours were halted in late summer in preparation for the ballroom construction.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by the plaintiff’s application for a temporary restraining order with equitable relief. Newsweek, The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
