By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
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 J. Leon said he expects to issue his decision within a day.
Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom large enough to accommodate 999 people in its place at an estimated cost of $300 million in private funding.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation went to court last week seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.
A Justice Department attorney argued at Tuesday’s 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. The attorney also said Trump is not subject to federal laws the Trust said he has failed to comply with.
Leon said he would hold another hearing in January.
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