Trump Blindsided By His Admin Destroying Evidence
A nonprofit organization challenging the Trump administration’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is accusing federal officials of taking steps that could destroy key evidence in an ongoing court battle over the project.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, asked a federal judge this week to allow independent experts access to inspect the Reflecting Pool before additional repair work begins.
The group argues that planned construction by the National Park Service could alter or eliminate evidence that may help determine what caused the damage to the newly resurfaced pool.
In a court filing submitted Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, attorneys for TCLF said federal officials have repeatedly offered explanations for the damage while simultaneously moving forward with repairs that could affect the condition of the site.
“Defendants also have undertaken to destroy some of the very evidence that could shed light on the veracity of Defendants’ claims,” the filing states.
The attorneys pointed to a declaration from a National Park Service official indicating that additional work is scheduled at the Reflecting Pool, arguing that any further repairs should be delayed until independent experts have an opportunity to examine and document the current condition of the site.
