Two individuals have filed a last-minute lawsuit in an attempt to prevent the UFC Freedom 250 event, scheduled for June 14 on the White House lawn, from happening.
As first reported by MMAJunkie, Paul Romano and Susan Douglas of Virginia are suing the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior with the intention of shutting down the UFC event and to “preserve Washington’s monumental spaces.”
The lawsuit is backed by the Public Integrity Project, which describes itself as a law firm that aims to stop corruption in the United States. Romano is a retired Air Force Sergeant and a Vietnam veteran, while Douglas is described as “a longtime civic activist and organizer.” The lead attorney, from the PIP, is Samuel T. Ward-Packard.
MMA Fighting reports the plaintiffs are also in the middle of filing for a temporary restraining order so that the court can look over the facts of the case. This would delay a UFC event on the White House lawn, or any other federal government property, until further notice.
“This plan is deeply corrupt,” the lawsuit states. “The President is giving 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 plaintiffs argue that the UFC Freedom 250 card and its location on the White House lawn are illegal. According to law, per the lawsuit, no special events may be held on the South Lawn or the Lincoln Memorial (where weigh-ins will take place) “without express authorization from Congress and a thorough environmental review.”
The lawsuit recognizes a temporary allowance being made by the National Park Service (NPS) for events being held in recognition of the United States’ Semiquincentennial. The plaintiffs argue, however, that UFC Freedom 250 does not meet the minimum requirements for such status.
“The event is neither ‘for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence’ nor, crucially, being ‘planned, organized, and executed’ by the federal government,” the lawsuit reads.
A recent report noted that Trump bought stock in the UFC’s parent company, TKO, prior to the first announcement of a UFC event at the White House.
The suit adds that the UFC’s structure for holding the Octagon on the White House lawn, labeled “The Claw,” does not have Congressional approval. The plaintiffs also argue that a potential burden is placed on taxpayers to help repair the White House lawn.
“The President arranged to hand two of America’s most cherished monuments to a private corporation so he and his allies could profit from them. That is corruption,” plaintiff Susan Douglas stated. “These monuments belong to all of us Americans, not to Dana White, not to advertisers like Crypto.com, and not to Donald Trump. We’re asking the court to enforce the law because the administration refuses to.”
