Overview
- The Justice Department’s emergency appeal, filed late Friday, asks the D.C. Circuit to lift the pause before the order takes effect April 14 under an expedited schedule with responses due Wednesday and Thursday.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction that halts the above-ground ballroom project, stayed his order for 14 days to allow an appeal, and carved out work deemed necessary for White House security.
- The government’s filing describes “Top Secret” facilities and materials under the site, including bomb shelters, a medical area, military installations, missile-resistant columns, drone-proof roofing, and blast-proof glass, drawing criticism for disclosing sensitive details.
- Budget documents show $377 million available for White House renovations in fiscal year 2026 and $174 million in 2027, largely private donations held in a National Park Service gift account that OMB treats as mandatory funds outside yearly appropriations.
- The Campaign Legal Center asked the U.S. Attorney in Washington to investigate whether lobbyists failed to report donations to the ballroom and related projects, citing at least 26 lobbyist employees and 35 organizations named through White House donor disclosures.