Protecting the EEOB

Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC et. al. v. Trump et. al.

What’s This Case About?

On Wednesday, November 12th,  President Donald J. Trump, in a media interview, revealed his plans to “beautify” the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) by painting its every exterior surface white. The scheme would permanently alter one of the most architecturally significant and historic structures in the Nation’s Capital. With a dramatic exterior crafted in polished granite, slate, and ornate cast-iron trim, the EEOB is a National Historic Landmark and a defining element of the White House complex. The building houses 1,500 employees who work for the Executive Offices of the President and Vice President.

Forty-eight hours after the President’s reveal of his plan, our law firm, its founders Greg and Marion Werkheiser, and the DC Preservation League, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking emergency consideration of the question of whether the President’s violate federal preservation and environmental laws.

What’s The Latest?

Defendant the General Services Administration, which is charged by Congress with management of the EEOB, agreed to suspend all planning for the painting project until March 1, after the Court has had a chance to hear the case more fully. Plaintiffs therefore agreed to voluntarily suspend their request for a preliminary injunction as long as no Defendant violates GSA’s commitments.