The official watchdog tasked with approving President Donald Trump’s massive White House ballroom has revised a public document to downplay its authority over the $400 million vanity project.
The National Capital Planning Commission released a public FAQ about the ballroom, a 90,000-square-foot monstrosity with serious design flaws that would dwarf the existing executive residence, ahead of its January meeting.
The document originally said the commission was reviewing the project because the White House sits on federal land, a fact that “requires” federal agencies to get commission approval, according to a public records request made by The Washington Post.
That language was later scrapped after the White House asked the commission to add a sentence saying the White House is not a federal agency and only asked the commission to review the project “in the spirit of cooperation,” the Post reported on Thursday.
The document was then changed to say that projects located on federal land in Washington, D.C., “come to NCPC for review.”
The commission’s willingness to soften its own authority is the latest example of its independence being thrown into question, according to the Post.
Trump personally appointed all 12 board members, including three White House staffers. Critics say the staffers lack city or regional planning experience, as required by law, as well as the independence to make their own decisions.
The FAQ revisions are “further evidence of the hidden hand of the White House during this whole process … like a puppet master pulling the strings, in this case, behind the scenes,” said Jon Golinger, a democracy advocate with the group Public Citizen, in an interview with the Post.
The commission’s general counsel, Meghan Hottel-Cox, told the newspaper it was “normal practice” for the commission to share documents with project applicants so they can comment and make corrections.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Post the White House was “working collaboratively in good faith” with the commission, and was not “directing” them to do anything.
The Daily Beast has also reached out for comment.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Trump was a “steward” of the White House, not its owner, and needed congressional approval to solicit private donations to build the new ballroom.
Judge Richard Leon, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, ordered a halt to the construction, which is taking place on the site of the razed East Wing, but stayed the order for two weeks and made an exception for work that was necessary for safety and security.
The White House called the ruling “egregious” and vowed to appeal.
Originally, the National Capital Planning Commission was planning to vote on the project at last month’s meeting, but the agency delayed a decision because of “significant public input.”
More than 35,000 public comments have been submitted on the project, with 97 percent of them critical of the ballroom, the Post reported.
Dozens of people—including architects, preservationists, and at least one former commissioner—also told the commission at last month’s meeting that they opposed the project.
Architects and public planning experts have identified numerous flaws with the design, including stairs that lead to nowhere, columns blocking interior views, fake windows, and an unnecessarily big rooftop area.
The commission is scheduled to vote on the project Thursday.
The administration has asked the commission to prove the preliminary and final plans simultaneously, even though the process usually unfolds across separate meetings held months apart, the Post reported.
