Acting AG Blanche asks court to let White House ballroom construction resume
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has asked a federal judge to overturn the judge's own ruling that blocked construction of the White House ballroom, in the wake of the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.
Federal Judge Richard Leon imposed a preliminary injunction earlier this month that paused above-ground construction until the administration obtains congressional approval. Construction of a presidential bunker beneath the East Wing was not subject to the injunction.
A federal appellate court now reviewing the case then allowed all construction to continue temporarily and will hear further arguments in early June.
The lawsuit against construction was initially filed late last year by the Trust for Historic Preservation. It said Monday it had no intention of dropping its suit "which endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law."
Blanche's filing asks Judge Leon for an indicative ruling - essentially a request for Leon to consider the impact of the dinner shooting and state whether he would lift the injunction or throw out the case if it were sent back to him by the appellate court.
Leon has expressed reservations about the project's $400 million private financing arrangement and the lack of congressional input. Republican Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said Monday he would introduce legislation to permit ballroom construction.