White House ballroom's original architect picked for commission reviewing the project
James McCrery, once President Trump's handpicked architect for the White House ballroom, has been appointed to serve on a commission that will review the project he once led.
The appointment was noted in a court filing late Thursday, which confirmed that President Trump appointed four people to serve on the Commission of Fine Arts.
McCrery served on the commission from 2019-2024. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Others commission appointments include National Endowment for the Arts chairwoman Mary Anne Carter, conservative writer Roger Kimball and Matthew Taylor of Washington, D.C.
The disclosure came as part of a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation which is seeking to delay East Wing construction until the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission processes are completed — and Congress approves the project.
Mr. Trump fired six sitting members of the Commission of Fine Arts in October.
The court filings also shed light on the $400 million project's finances. The National Park Service accepted a donation on Nov. 13, the document said. The money most likely came from a nonprofit entity collecting donations for the ballroom.
Those funds were then transferred to the Executive Residence at the White House (EXR), which is leading the project, according to Jessica Bowron, acting National Park Service director. The filing does not specify how much was transferred.
"NPS determined that it was in the best interests of the United States for EXR to contract for and directly manage the Project," Bowron told the court. "EXR is therefore handling project management for the Project, meaning that it is in control of all aspects of the day-to-day execution of the Project, including its scope, schedule, budget, design, and completion."
The filings lay out a more detailed timeline for ballroom approvals. The administration had planned to provide an informational briefing to the Commission of Fine Arts this week, but that presentation was delayed until next week. The White House is hoping to complete the CFA review process by March 19.
White House officials are scheduled to meet with National Capital Planning Commission staffers this month and will file a final submission on Jan. 30, according to federal court records. The administration expects the NCPC to take a final vote on the project at its March 5 meeting.
Final sign-off from both commissions typically takes months or even years for most projects.
Aboveground East Wing construction is not expected to start until April at the earliest.