Federal judge says he's inclined to deny preservationists' request to halt Trump's ballroom project

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday he's leaning toward denying a preservationist group's request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump 's White House ballroom project, saying the organization failed to show that “irreparable harm” would be caused if the project moves forward.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said he could issue a final decision on the restraining order by Wednesday. But Leon said he plans to hold another hearing in January on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's request to pause the ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

In the meantime, Leon warned the administration to not make decisions on underground work, such as the routing of plumbing and gas lines, that would dictate the scope of future ballroom construction above ground. If that were to happen, Leon said, “the court will address it, I assure you of that.”

Trump, speaking Tuesday night at a Hannukah event, thanked the judge for the “courage in making the proper decision.” He also described the ballroom as costing $400 million, though its previously listed price tag was $300 million.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust, said it remained “fully committed to upholding the interests of the American people and advocating for compliance with the law, including review by the National Capital Planning Commission and an opportunity for the public to provide comment and shape the project."

Trump went ahead with the ballroom construction before seeking input from a pair of federal review panels, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Trump has stocked the planning commission with allies, including the chairman, Will Scharf, who recently said he expected to receive the ballroom plans sometime this month.

Leon made a couple of references during the hearing to the administration having just two weeks to submit the plans. Adam Gustafson, the principal deputy assistant attorney general, said the administration had “initiated outreach” to the panel to do just that, but no date had been set.

Trump recently dismissed all members of the fine arts panel. He has yet to name replacements.

Gustafson argued at the hearing that the Trust has no standing in the case to sue and that underground construction must continue for national security reasons that were not outlined in open court. He also said Trump is exempt from federal laws the Trust said he has failed to follow.

Gustafson said the Trust cannot show “irreparable harm” because the ballroom plans have not been finalized and construction above ground was not scheduled to begin until April at the earliest.

Tad Heuer, the attorney representing the Trust — a private, nonprofit organization — said that with every day that construction is allowed to proceed absent the independent reviews, the government gets to say “wait and find out” what the ballroom will look like.

"It's not about the need for a ballroom. It's about the need to follow the law,” Heuer said of the case.

The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer and by late October, Trump had demolished the East Wing of the White House to build in its place a ballroom that he said will be big enough to fit 999 people at an estimated cost of $300 million in private funding.