Brief of Amici Curiae CLC and CREW

On May 27, 2026, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed an amicus brief in National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States v. National Park Service, the case challenging the construction of a privately funded ballroom at the East Wing of the White House. CLC and CREW’s brief supports the historic preservation group plaintiff in urging the court to stop construction of the ballroom unless and until Congress approves the project. The brief discusses the risks of corruption that emerge when private donations are used to fund public projects, as opposed to money appropriated by Congress. The brief also explains that the Trump administration’s reliance on private donations to fund the ballroom violates basic separation-of-powers principles that are intended to prevent corruption.