A public interest law firm filed a lawsuit this past weekend asking a federal judge to declare an upcoming UFC event at the White House unlawful, one week before the fight is scheduled to take place.
The Public Integrity Project, representing a political activist and Vietnam veteran, claims the event was improperly permitted, bypassed required environmental review, and amounts to an extraordinary use of public land to benefit President Donald Trump and his allies, according to ABC News. The event is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, which is also Trump's birthday.
The UFC plans to host a mixed martial arts event in a caged octagon on the South Lawn of the White House and bring thousands of fans to the nearby Ellipse. The event is framed around the country's 250th anniversary.
The lawsuit alleged that the Trump administration improperly used a temporary rule created for "America 250" celebrations to bypass permitting requirements that would normally apply to events held on National Park Service land. Because the event is organized by a private entity and is not explicitly tied to celebrating the anniversary of American independence, the plaintiffs argue it does not qualify for that exemption. "It is not in any material sense a 'celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence' — it is, instead, a celebration of the UFC's brand and the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump's birth," the lawsuit said.
The filing also alleged that the construction of a 600-ton steel arch over the South Lawn should have triggered an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
"The President is giving [Dana] White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access," the lawsuit said.
The two plaintiffs are a retired government employee who frequently attends protests and events near the National Mall, and a Vietnam War veteran who works part-time as a rideshare driver and said he regularly uses the DC landscape. The lawsuit alleged both are experiencing "aesthetic, dignitary, and procedural harms" from the defendants' actions.
The White House and UFC did not respond to ABC News' request for comment. Lawsuits challenging Trump's plans to reshape the White House and DC area have had a mixed record in court, with judges frequently skeptical about whether plaintiffs have legal standing to sue.
