The Justice Department, in a five-page court filing on Sunday, said the incident underscores the critical need for “top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the ballroom”, adding that it was vital for national security. It also asks for the lawsuit challenging the project to be dismissed.
The court filing stated: “This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!”
Leon issued an injunction that halted “above-ground construction of the planned ballroom”, but his order was quickly put on hold by an appeal court. Construction has continued.
The Justice Department had previously asked Leon to dissolve his injunction and throw out the lawsuit over the ballroom after a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April. Leon has not acted on that request.
