Judge Orders White House Ballroom Contract Released

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to make public the contract behind the new White House ballroom project, giving the government until April 20 to comply.

Monday's ruling requires the administration to turn over a 14-page contract between the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the White House, or provide a formal explanation for why it cannot be released.

The order stems from a Freedom of Information Act request filed by progressive advocacy group Public Citizen in October, the same month the East Wing was demolished to make way for the $400 million ballroom project. After repeated attempts to get a timeline on the request went unanswered, the group filed a lawsuit in December.

Under the ruling, the government must either produce the contract to Public Citizen or submit a declaration explaining why it cannot by April 20.