Ballroom commission changed documents at White House’s request

An independent planning commission reviewing President Donald Trump’s ballroom building softened its own official documentation about the project at the White House’s request, records show.

The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on the project, the final procedural obstacle to building a 90,000-square-foot structure that would dramatically remake one of the most recognized symbols of American power and democracy. Emails obtained by The Washington Post through a public records request show the commission changed what would become a public FAQ document about the ballroom after a White House staffer asked it to soften language about the commission’s authority over the project. The commission then released the document ahead of its Jan. 8 meeting to provide information about its role in reviewing federal construction projects, when it would take up the ballroom and whether it had reviewed previous White House projects.