The Justice Department told U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that it is moving forward with plans to construct Trump’s “victory arch” just outside D.C.
However, the order was couched in considerably qualifying language, effectively saying the Trump administration needs to issue a number of permits to itself before moving forward.
“Pursuant to the Court’s Order … Defendants submit this notice regarding an application from Grunley Construction Company, Inc., for a special-use permit from National Park Service (NPS) authorizing construction mobilization for an arch on Memorial Circle,” said the filing. “Although NPS has not yet issued the permit (which is prerequisite for Grunley to begin work on and around Memorial Circle), Grunley may be — but is not necessarily — arranging off-site preparations for construction mobilization in anticipation of permit approval.”
The filing also notified Chutkan that Trump’s administration has issued a permit to protesters who are going to erect a model of the arch.
“Additionally, Defendants provide notice that NPS has issued a permit for a First Amendment demonstration near Memorial Circle to begin at 10:00 AM tomorrow morning,” said the filing. “The application for that permit indicates that the demonstrators will be temporarily erecting a seventeen-foot-high scale arch model made from bamboo.”
This comes just after Chutkan complicated the administration’s efforts to erect the controversial monument, with a number of technical deadlines.
The post DOJ thumbs its nose at court as Trump admin ‘maybe’ draws up permits for ‘victory arch’ appeared first on Raw Story.
