Latest News
Justice Dept. Uses Assassination Attempt to Justify White House Ballroom Construction
The Justice Department is citing the April 25 attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in a new court filing as a reason to continue the proposed White House ballroom project.
The court filing is part of the Trump administration’s petition to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to complete construction of a $400 million ballroom at the East Wing of the White House.
The filing argues that the ballroom is needed to improve security. Cole Tomas Allen, the accused gunman, was denied release from jail on bail in a federal court hearing Thursday.
Justice Department lawyers are asking the appellate court to lift or modify a federal judge’s restrictions on construction of the ballroom.
A hearing is scheduled for June.
Justice Dept. Inspector General Investigates Epstein File Release
The Justice Department’s inspector general is investigating whether federal officials withheld or improperly redacted documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in defiance of a transparency law passed by Congress last year.
The investigation announced last week is a response to bipartisan allegations that the Justice Department’s release of Epstein files was incomplete and sloppy for the way it revealed the identities of sexual exploitation victims.
The audit’s primary objective is to evaluate the department’s internal processes for "identifying, redacting, and releasing records" as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said Acting Inspector General William Blier in a statement.
Congress approved the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025 to require the Justice Department to publicly release investigative files, documents, photographs and other records related to the financier accused of operating a sex-trafficking network.
He allegedly arranged for underage girls to have sex with high-powered political and business executives. He committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York on sex trafficking charges.
Trump Administration Downgrades Marijuana from a Dangerous Drug
The Trump administration last week downgraded marijuana from a top-tier dangerous drug under federal classifications to a “less dangerous drug.”
Reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III means it is considered to have accepted medical uses and a lower potential for abuse.
It also means persons who use or possess marijuana are less likely to face severe criminal penalties. Until now, they could have been prosecuted for felonies.
The order signed by the acting U.S. attorney general at the direction of President Donald Trump is the biggest change to federal policy on illegal drugs in decades.
Schedule I includes drugs like heroin, fentanyl and LSD. Schedule III includes drugs like ketamine, steroids and Tylenol with codeine.
Legal Briefs
Government Joins D.C. Water Lawsuits Over Massive Sewer Pipeline Rupture
D.C. Water is facing a barrage of legal action this week as federal, state, and private plaintiffs join forces to hold the utility accountable for a catastrophic pipeline collapse that released roughly 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River earlier this year.
Two government lawsuits were filed last week.
The Justice Department sued on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a separate lawsuit in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
The government lawsuits follow a class action filed in March by Washington area residents, business owners, and recreational boaters. They claim economic harm and property contamination.
The legal battle results from the Jan. 19, 2026 rupture of the Potomac Interceptor—a 72-inch concrete pipeline—near Lock 10 of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
The Justice Department filing alleges that D.C. Water ignored years of warnings that the 1960s-era pipe was severely corroded. Inspections conducted as recently as late 2024 reportedly showed that more than five inches of the pipe wall had eroded, leaving less than two inches of structural integrity.
"After decades of use and years of neglect... a section known by D.C. Water to be severely corroded catastrophically failed," the Justice Department complaint says.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown characterized the leak as "gross negligence."
D.C. in Brief
D.C. Fans to Get Millions in Settlement Over Live Nation’s "Dark Pattern" Pricing
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has agreed to pay $9.9 million to settle a long-running investigation into deceptive ticket pricing and high-pressure sales tactics, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced last week.
The settlement concludes a months-long consumer protection investigation that accused the entertainment giant of using "dark patterns" – manipulative digital design choices – to extract more money from D.C. residents who attended the concerts it hosted.
Of the $9.9 million in the settlement, about $8.9 million is earmarked for refunds to D.C. residents who purchased tickets through Live Nation or Ticketmaster over the last decade.
"For at least a decade, Live Nation and Ticketmaster boosted profits by charging predatory, hidden fees – taking advantage of D.C. residents buying tickets for their favorite artist or team," Schwalb said in a statement. "With this settlement, we’re putting millions of dollars back into the pockets of D.C. fans."
The Office of the Attorney General plans to announce a formal claims process in the coming months for residents who purchased tickets between 2015 and May 2025.
The attorney general listed business practices he called "deceptive":
- Drip Pricing: Live Nation was accused of advertising low initial prices and hiding mandatory fees until the final checkout page, a tactic the attorney general called a "bait-and-switch."
- False Urgency: Live Nation reportedly used countdown timers and pop-up notifications – such as "Tickets are selling fast!" – even when demand was low or tickets were plentiful, to pressure customers into immediate purchases.
- Fee Transparency: Under the new terms, Live Nation must show the full price of a ticket – including all mandatory fees, minus taxes – from the first selection page. They must also provide clearer explanations of what their fees actually cover.
Letters to the Editor
The Legal Forum welcomes letters to the editor at tramstack@gmail.com, which will be published here.
We Could Use Your Help
Thousands of DC residents need a lawyer, but can’t afford one. They could be illegally evicted from their homes, lose custody of their children, experience domestic violence, and more, all because they lack legal representation.
You could make a difference. By making a donation to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, you will provide free, high-quality, zealous legal representation to low-income DC residents.
Your support could prevent homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, or family separation. In fact, if just 10 people who see this ad give $28 to Legal Aid, it will be enough to staff an experienced attorney at the courthouse for a day.
That way, DC residents like Keith King (pictured above) can get the legal representation they need to win their cases. As Mr. King put it, if it wasn’t for his Legal Aid lawyer, “I would have been homeless again.”
Here is the link to the Legal Aid website for donations: https://www.legalaiddc.org/donate-to-legal-aid/
For more information, contact Rob Pergament at Legal Aid at rpergament@legalaiddc.org
Power the Civil Rights Work of Our Time
Each day members of our community are experiencing wage theft, the effects of gentrification, discriminatory policing, collateral consequences, marginalization in schools, and barriers to public accommodations.
We fight alongside people facing the effects of gentrification like Amira Moore. Our work empowers the people and communities who need it most, “We can do more than we think. There’s a path to equity, we just have to step to it.” –Ms. Moore
For more than 50 years, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee has been on the frontlines of the fight for civil rights in our community. We deploy the best legal talent, we tackle the tough cases, we fight, and we win.
Our work is as important today as it has ever been. Through your support, you can play a role in creating justice for thousands of marginalized members of our community. Together, we will dismantle injustice and pursue lasting change.
Join us! Donate & subscribe: https://www.washlaw.org/support-us
Volunteer with us: https://www.washlaw.org/get-involved/
For more information, contact Gregg Kelley at gregg_kelley@washlaw.org
About Us
The Legal Forum is a nonprofit news service for the Washington area's legal community that also offers attorney job listings as well as amicus briefs and grant information for charitable organizations. If you have questions, please Contact Us