Trump has championed 90,000-square-foot addition, as critics say his has circumvented legally required approvals.Washington, DC – The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the administration of US President Donald Trump’s construction of a sprawling ballroom connected to the east wing of the White House.The lawsuit filed on Friday targets one of Trump’s signature initiatives: a 90,000-square-foot (27,432-square-metre) addition to the seat of the US executive branch.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listPreservationists have previously criticised the transformative project for altering the character of the iconic building and for the Trump administration’s failure to follow the proper review process. However, the lawsuit on Friday is the first formal effort to halt construction.“The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognised symbol of our powerful American ideals,” Carol Quillen, the president of the organisation, said in a statement.“As the organisation charged with protecting places where our history happened, the National Trust was compelled to file this case,” she said.The filing charges that the Trump administration has violated several laws in beginning construction of the ballroom, including failing to file plans with the National Capital Planning Commission; failing to prepare an environmental assessment; and failing to obtain congressional approval for construction in a federal park.It further states that the totality of the administration’s actions violates the property clause of the US Constitution, which “reserves to Congress the right t …
