A federal judge just called out the absurdity of using national security as an excuse to build a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House. In a sharp 10-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon slammed the attempt to justify the entire project under a loophole meant only for critical security upgrades. The judge made it clear that national security isn’t a free pass for unlawful construction.
Last month, Leon ruled that the project was moving forward illegally because Congress never approved it. He carved out an exception to allow work on a high-tech bunker beneath the proposed ballroom, but the administration tried to stretch that exception to cover the entire above-ground structure.
