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The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of
two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s
authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit
says such approval violated National Park Service regulations
prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did
not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and
no environmental review was conducted before the construction.
“This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our
most sacred national monuments for private gain,” said Brendan
Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “And that is what is
motivating this lawsuit.”
The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was
“an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent
Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no
different than the various other White House-hosted events on
the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and
National Mall throughout the year.”
UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn.
Trump has said the finished UFC project will feature “a
5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White
House.” Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be
set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it
plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate
spectators at both locations.
The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in
the White House building boom Trump is leading.
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