Federal judge orders halt to Trump White House ballroom project; DOJ to appeal

[mystery-ak]

Federal judge orders halt to Trump White House ballroom project; DOJ to appeal
District Judge Richard Leon delayed enforcement of the ruling for 14 days to allow time for the White House to appeal
 By Jasmine Baehr , Bill Mears , David Spunt , Jake Gibson Fox News

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the group is likely to succeed on the merits of its case, writing that "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have," according to the ruling.

The injunction temporarily stops work on the project, though the judge delayed enforcement for 14 days to allow the White House time to appeal. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to appeal.

"I will therefore delay enforcement of the injunction for fourteen days," Leon wrote, noting the administration plans to seek immediate appellate review.

The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued the project required congressional authorization before moving forward.

In his opinion, Leon said construction could resume if Congress explicitly approves the project or authorizes funding, emphasizing that lawmakers retain authority over federal property and spending.

President Donald Trump blasted the lawsuit in a post on Truth Social, calling the National Trust for Historic Preservation a "Radical Left Group of Lunatics" and defending the ballroom project as "under budget" and "being built at no cost to the taxpayer."

"The National Trust for Historic Preservation sues me for a Ballroom that is under budget, ahead of schedule, being built at no cost to the Taxpayer, and will be the finest Building of its kind anywhere in the World," the president wrote.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-orders-halt-trump-white-house-ballroom-project-doj-appeal

[berdie]

Could it be that this ruling should have come before the East Wing was torn down?

[libertybele]

Could it be that this ruling should have come before the East Wing was torn down?

Right.  I hope that the DOJ win the appeal, after all it isn't being funded by the taxpayers.  I see this is as just a malicious leftist maneuver. So .... seating dignitaries in tents and having them use port-a-potties is ok?

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2039107865609191552

[Timber Rattler]

So this lunatic lefty judge ruled that because there is NO law on the books that either authorizes OR prohibits Trump from improving the Executive grounds, then he has the right to meddle in clear Article III matters and ordering construction to stop?

His "memo" is an embarrassment, with every other sentence ending in an exclamation point.  Totally unserious.  If I was Trump, I'd order the construction crews to keep building and ignore that judge, thereby giving John Roberts some more heartburn.

[libertybele]

So this lunatic lefty judge ruled that because there is NO law on the books that either authorizes OR prohibits Trump from improving the Executive grounds, then he has the right to meddle in clear Article III matters and ordering construction to stop?

His "memo" is an embarrassment, with every other sentence ending in an exclamation point.  Totally unserious.  If I was Trump, I'd order the construction crews to keep building and ignore that judge, thereby giving John Roberts some more heartburn.

Anything that gives Roberts heartburn is a plus. 

[Timber Rattler]

Anything that gives Roberts heartburn is a plus. 

Yeah, it is irksome how Roberts always insists that these federal district judges are "hardworking" and "good faith" arbiters, trying to do the best they can, when they are anything but that. 

Surely he cannot be that willfully blind or naïve?