President Donald Trump’s latest Washington project has drawn unexpected legal attention before work reaches completion. A nonprofit organization recently challenged the changes, raising questions about how the administration handled the high-profile renovation.
NGO files lawsuit against Donald Trump over reflecting pool renovation
The Washington Post reported that a Washington-area nonprofit sued President Donald Trump over renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The group asked the court to halt resurfacing work on the reflecting pool. The lawsuit said federal officials skipped required reviews before applying a blue color to the basin. The filing cited the National Historic Preservation Act and past federal review procedures.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation said the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed earlier reflecting pool modifications, but did not examine Trump’s project. Charles A. Birnbaum leads the nonprofit organization behind the lawsuit. Birnbaum said the pool’s original neutral colors created stronger depth and reflection effects. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park,” Birnbaum said in a statement. The organization requested a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction against the Interior Department’s work.
The White House referred questions about the lawsuit to the Interior Department. The department defended the renovation project in a public statement on Monday. “The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service,” the agency stated. The statement added that officials wanted future generations to enjoy the reflecting pool. Trump announced the resurfacing project last month during public remarks about the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Donald Trump said a contractor recommended “American Flag Blue” for the reflecting pool basin. Trump also said workers would complete the project by July 4. The nonprofit’s filing referenced additional Washington construction projects involving the administration.
The filing mentioned Trump’s decision to remove the White House East Wing for a planned ballroom project. A federal judge ruled last month that aboveground ballroom construction required express congressional authorization. The Trump administration appealed that ruling shortly afterward.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
