Three men appointed by President Donald Trump to the National Capital Planning Commission, which makes key decisions pertaining to his $400 million White House ballroom – may not be legally qualified for their roles, critics have warned.
The Washington Post points out that federal law requires incoming commissioners to have “experience in city or regional planning” and that nominees to the panel typically have backgrounds in planning, architecture or historic preservation.
But White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, and Office of Management and Budget Associate Director Stuart Levenbach lack that experience, according to watchdog groups cited by the Post, potentially rendering any decisions they might make vulnerable to legal challenges.
Speaking at a meeting of the commissioners last week to discuss the forthcoming ballroom, Jon Golinger of the liberal advocacy group Public Citizen told the panel, “Those appointments were not just a crude political power play.
“They were unlawful, and they destroy the credibility of the vote on this project if those individuals vote for it.”
“To say that I lack the credentials to serve on this commission is, frankly, insulting,” Scharf reportedly responded angrily, in what was described as a “testy” exchange with Golinger.
Another critic of the appointments, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, told the Post in a statement: “These commissioners are meant to be independent experts – not henchmen helping the president build his vanity projects.”
Scharf has subsequently stressed that he spent 18 months working as policy director to Missouri’s former Republican governor Eric Greitens, which involved him with the state’s Housing Development Commission, Department of Economic Development, and Development Finance Board.
Levenbach, meanwhile, told the Post that his work at the OMB has meant he has regularly been asked to consider proposals to build and renovate federal buildings, which is fortunate, as his academic credentials are in marine ecology, a discipline in which he holds a PhD.
Blair has not commented on his planning experience, but White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the trio to The Independent, saying, “President Trump has an incredible eye and appreciation for the arts, and only selects the most talented and qualified people possible.
“These individuals possess a wealth of experience that reflects the values of everyday Americans and President Trump’s vision to make America great again.
.jpg)
“The White House is grateful for all of the hard work and time spent by the National Capital Planning Commission in reviewing the plans for what will be the greatest and most beautiful Ballroom anywhere in the world, no matter how much the Failing Washington Post hates it.
“We look forward to receiving the final NCPC approval in early April.”
Golinger, the Public Citizen democracy advocate, told The Independent: “Congress created this professional planning agency to ensure that federal development projects in the nation’s capital are constructed in a careful, coherent fashion, rather than randomly built because of some developer’s whim or a politician’s bizarre obsession.
“But it’s being made a mockery of by three presidential appointees who don’t have the planning experience that’s required by law. They should recuse themselves from the ballroom project vote, resign from this commission, and Trump should appoint qualified people with the required planning experience in their place.”
The president moved quickly last year to order the demolition of the iconic East Wing of the White House, traditionally the home of the first lady’s offices, in order to construct a large ballroom for entertaining foreign dignitaries, which Trump insisted had long been needed.
The project has quickly become a subject of ridicule among the president’s political opponents, who have called it an expensive distraction and argued that it provides another opportunity for him to solicit donations from wealthy supporters and those seeking to curry favor or win his attention.
The public has also been less than kind, calling it “hideous,” “appalling,” and a “fascist take on classicism” in an online forum surveying public opinion.
Who is Ali Larijani? Top Iranian official Israel claims to have killed
Trump was warned Iran could attack other Middle Eastern countries: report
Iran-US war latest: Top Trump aide quits over war as Europe tells US ‘to save face’
Former US presidential aides dispute Trump’s repeated claim they praised his Iran war
Trump’s counterterrorism chief quits over Iran War
Trump calls Gavin Newsom ‘the President of the US’ while insulting his intelligence
