May 25 (Reuters) – The Justice Department has again asked a federal court to lift an injunction holding up progress on President Donald Trump’s ballroom project, saying Saturday’s shooting outside the White House showed an urgent need for improved security.
The Justice Department, in a five-page court filing on Sunday, said the incident underscores the critical need for “top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the ballroom,” adding that it was vital for national security. It also asks for the lawsuit challenging the project to be dismissed.
The DOJ had previously asked a federal judge to throw out the lawsuit over the ballroom after a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. It said it would not drop its lawsuit after the attack in April, despite the Justice Department’s request.
The gunman who fired at a White House checkpoint on Saturday was shot by officers and died after being taken to the hospital on Saturday evening, the Secret Service said.
(Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston, editing by Deepa Babington)
