Trump ousts arts commission reviewing White House ballroom plans, Washington Post reports
By Maiya Keidan
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has terminated all six members of an independent federal agency that planned to review White House construction projects, including the new ballroom, according to a report by The Washington Post.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately,” a presidential personnel office White House staffer wrote on Tuesday in an email to one of the commissioners, which the Post reported it reviewed.
A White House official, who spoke anonymously to the Post, confirmed that all six members had been fired and that new members to the commission will be appointed who are more aligned with Trump’s policies.
Construction began last week on Trump’s White House ballroom addition, which is expected to cost upwards of $250 million, the first major change to the historic property in decades.
Critics, astonished at the swift demolition of the entire East Wing of the White House, said a review should have taken place before construction began.
The Commission of Fine Arts, made up of architects and urban planners, was established by Congress more than 100 years ago to provide advice on design in the construction of projects in the capital area.
Former President Joe Biden appointed the six commissioners Trump is reported to have terminated.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A separate panel, the National Capital Planning Commission, oversees federal construction in Washington. The White House said last week that plans had not yet been submitted to that commission but said it would provide the plans soon.
Separately, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and several other senators on Tuesday asked the White House to produce “complete accounting” on how the administration is funding the ballroom project. Trump has said it would be paid for by himself and donors.
“The opaque nature of this scheme reinforces concern that President Trump is again selling presidential access to individuals or entities, including foreign nationals and corporate actors, with vested interests in federal action,” Schiff wrote in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the Post reported on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Maiya Keidan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
