WASHINGTON, April 12 — A federal appeals court has ruled US President Donald Trump’s US$400 million (RM1.5 billion) White House ballroom renovation can proceed, albeit temporarily, and called for a district judge to clarify national security-related questions.
The project aims to construct a massive ballroom on the site of the White House’s East Wing — previously best known for housing the First Lady’s offices. It was demolished in September.
A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled 2-1 to give the administration until April 17 to continue working on the project and “seek Supreme Court review,” in the court order released Saturday.
The order also calls on the federal district court Judge Richard Leon to clarify questions on White House safety and security raised in earlier proceedings.
Last month, Leon ordered a halt to construction, saying Trump needed congressional approval for the project.
Leon wrote in that order that Trump is a “steward” of the White House, adding: “He is not, however, the owner!”
The lawsuit against the renovation was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States. — AFP
