Page 5 - AT

A5
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 20 February 2019
Judge OKs suit aimed at halting Obama library in Chicago

By MICHAEL TARM indicated that he doesn’t dency in 2008.
AP Legal Affairs Writer want the litigation to drag The center was originally
CHICAGO (AP) — A fed- out, and that he would slated to open in 2021,
eral judge gave the green strictly limit any fact gather- though ground hasn’t yet
light Tuesday to a parks- ing leading up to trial to 45 broken because of the lin-
advocacy group’s lawsuit days. gering litigation.
that aims to stop for good “We are pleased that the In its 2018 suit , Protect Our
the delayed construction court dismissed some of Parks accused the city of
of former President Barack the claims and made clear illegally transferring park
Obama’s $500 million presi- that the proceedings will land to a private entity, The
dential center in a Chica- move forward expedi- Obama Foundation, effec-
go park beside Lake Michi- tiously,” said Chicago cor- tively “gifting” prized land
gan.Supporters of the proj- poration counsel Ed Siskel. to a Chicago favorite son.
ect had hoped the court It was also the view of the The group said city officials
would grant a city motion Obama Foundation in its manipulated the approval This illustration released on May 3, 2017 by the Obama
to throw out the lawsuit by one-sentence reaction to process and tinkered with Foundation shows plans for the proposed Obama Presidential
Protect Our Parks, some Blakey’s ruling. legislation to skirt long- Center with a museum, rear, in Jackson Park on Chicago’s
fearing any drawn out liti- Blakey tossed the plaintiffs’ standing laws designed to South Side.
gation might lead Obama claim that their First Amend- ensure residents have un- Associated Press
to decide to build the ment rights would be vio- obstructed access to lake- ter’s physical structures be spent to reconfigure
Obama Presidential Center lated if tax money is used side parks. would be transferred to the roads and traffic. The suit
somewhere other than his to construct a building to “Defendants have chosen city for free, meaning the argued that taxpayers
hometown. promote former President to deal with it in a classic city would formally own the would thus subsidize any
A lawsuit brought by an- Barack Obama’s political Chicago political way ... center but not control what partisan political activity by
other group in 2016 helped interests. to deceive and seemingly happens there. Obama at the center.
to scuttle a $400 million He also found no merit in legitimize an illegal land “They are essentially giv- City lawyers conceded
plan by “Star Wars” creator the plaintiffs’ claim they grab,” the lawsuit says. ing (property) to Obama Thursday that Chicago
George Lucas to build a would suffer because of To make the park available ... for 10 cents a year for would pay an estimated
museum on public land on aesthetic and environmen- for the project, the Chi- 99 years,” parks advoca- $175 million to reconfigure
Chicago’s lakefront. That tal harm to Jackson Park. cago Park District first sold cy lawyer Mark Roth said roads to manage traffic
museum is now under con- Blakey says his ruling “does the land to the city for $1. Thursday. around the center.
struction in Los Angeles . not address the true facts Illinois legislators amended In a friend-of-the-court The lawsuit also claims that
Judge John Robert Blakey of this case.” the state’s Illinois Aquarium brief , legal scholar Rich- the center would interfere
heard arguments last week Plans call for the center to and Museum Act to include ard Epstein said public-trust with migrating butterflies
on the city’s motion to dis- be built in Jackson Park, presidential libraries as an doctrine places an extra and birds.
miss. Blakey did toss parts which was named after exception to the no-de- burden on authorities to City lawyers said Protect
of the suit in his Tuesday President Andrew Jack- velopment rules if there’s a prove overwhelming public Our Parks misread the law,
ruling, but concluded the son and was a site for the compelling public interest. benefit when they offer the misrepresented how the
group has standing to sue Chicago World’s Fair in The Chicago City Council use of public parks to such approval process played
because it represent tax- 1893. The site 7 miles (11 approved the project by a well-connected figures out and exaggerated po-
payers with concerns that kilometers) south of down- 47-to-1 vote last May. as Obama, who remains tential environmental dis-
providing parkland in the town Chicago is near low- The Obama Foundation, hugely popular in the heav- ruptions.
public trust to the Obama income neighborhoods a private nonprofit, would ily Democratic city. Chica- The center would comprise
center violates their due- where Obama worked as a pay $10 to the city for use go Mayor Rahm Emanuel 20 acres (8 hectares) of
process rights. community organizer and of the park land for 99 once served as Obama’s the 500-acre (202-hectare)
Blakey’s ruling doesn’t is just blocks from the Uni- years, cover the costs of White House chief of staff. park. Its centerpiece would
mean the group will nec- versity of Chicago where building the complex and One claim Blakey tossed be a 225-foot (69-meter)
essarily prevail in the end, Obama was a law profes- be responsible for cover- Tuesday was that taxpay- museum tower, surrounded
but confirms that the suit sor. It is also close to the ing operating costs for ers’ First Amendment rights by a cluster of smaller build-
poses a formidable threat home where the Obamas 99 years. Once built, the would be infringed upon ings, including a 300-seat
to the project. The judge lived until he won the presi- Obama Presidential Cen- because tax money would auditorium.q

Judge orders Roger Stone to

court over Instagram post

By MICHAEL BALSAMO hairs near her head. Later in the day, Stone
Associated Press and his attorneys filed a notice with the
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on court that they recognized the “photo-
Tuesday ordered Roger Stone to appear graph and comment today was improper
in court to consider whether to revoke and should not have been posted.”
his bail after the longtime Donald Trump Stone said that the photo was “misinter-
confidant posted a photo on Instagram preted” and that it was “a random photo
of the judge with what appeared to be taken from the Internet.” He dismissed any
crosshairs of a gun. U.S. District Judge Amy suggestion that he was trying to threaten
Berman Jackson said Stone must show for the judge as “categorically false.”
a hearing Thursday afternoon and prove The charges stem from conversations he
why she shouldn’t modify or revoke his bail had during the 2016 election about WikiLe-
or implement a full gag order in his case. aks, the anti-secrecy group that released
On Monday, Stone posted a photo of material stolen from Democratic groups,
Jackson with what appeared to be cross- including Hillary Clinton’s campaign.q