{"id":2405752,"date":"2025-02-23T14:44:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T19:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poetic-justice-obama-library-delayed-discrimination-lawsuits-environmental-injunctions-enrichment-allegations\/"},"modified":"2025-02-23T14:49:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T19:49:03","slug":"poetic-justice-obama-library-delayed-discrimination-lawsuits-environmental-injunctions-enrichment-allegations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poetic-justice-obama-library-delayed-discrimination-lawsuits-environmental-injunctions-enrichment-allegations\/","title":{"rendered":"Poetic Justice: Obama Library Delayed &#8211; Discrimination Lawsuits, Environmental Injunctions, Enrichment Allegations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpoetic-justice-obama-library-delayed-discrimination-lawsuits-environmental-injunctions-enrichment-allegations%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2405752&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Obama Center in Chicago, proposed in 2017 after former President\u200c Barack Obama&#8217;s presidency, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mary-trump-asks-why-fing-maniac-donald-is-still-allowed-to-roam-free\/\" title=\"Mary Trump questions why Donald, a &quot;maniac,&quot; is still free to roam.\">faced numerous legal challenges<\/a> and public opposition, delaying\u200d its expected opening from 2021 to 2026. Critics \u200bargue that the project&#8217;s\u2064 location and\u200c deal with the city compromise public trust\u2064 and could harm the environment by uprooting nearly 1,000 trees and disrupting migratory bird paths. \u2062Additionally, the project has incurred significant costs, exceeding $300 million, primarily borne \u2063by taxpayers rather than the Obama Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Support for the\u200c center has dwindled, reflected in\u2062 the\u200d foundation\u2019s fundraising decline from over $311 million in 2022 to $129 million in 2023. Recently, \u200ca subcontractor filed a $40 million lawsuit claiming racial discrimination against\u200b the lead \u200bfirm, Thornton Tomasetti, which allegedly imposed excessive standards, leading to cost overruns. Thornton Tomasetti defended its actions, stating the subcontractor was &#8220;questionably qualified.&#8221; Controversy\u200d also surrounds compensation for Obama Foundation officials, notably CEO Valeria Jarrett&#8217;s annual salary of\u2063 $740,000. The unfolding issues contribute to a \u2064growing skepticism about\u200d the project&#8217;s viability and implications for the community.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The proposed Obama Center in Chicago has become a towering welter of lawsuits and other issues.<\/p>\n<p>The project was first proposed in 2017 after former President Barack Obama left the White House. From the outset, the project was stalled by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/look-happening-people-live-near-obamas-presidential-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resident opposition<\/a> and other concerns. Once scheduled to open in 2021, the project now as an opening date of 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipi.org\/ipi_issues\/detail\/the-battle-over-the-obama-presidential-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Policy Innovation<\/a> complained that the center&rsquo;s &ldquo;poor location misses valuable opportunities to improve overall land use and economic development in Chicago from putting it elsewhere.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Foundation&rsquo;s sweetheart deal with Chicago violates the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/migrants-arent-overtaking-this-chicago-park-yet-but-access-is-limited-during-state-of-suspension\/\" title=\"Limited access to ... park during &#039;State of Suspension&#039; for migrants.\">public trust doctrine<\/a>, and the actual transfer took place without the Foundation meeting either its financial preconditions or the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">multiple environmental laws protecting key public landmarks<\/a>. Even at this late date, the deal should be undone.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If allowed to be completed, the OPC project would uproot close to 1,000 mature trees and disrupt major migratory bird paths that run north-to-south along the shore of Lake Michigan. In total, the public cost of the new roadwork &mdash; borne by both the federal government and Illinois, but not the Obama Foundation, of course &mdash; probably exceeds $300 million dollars (and growing with inflation), ultimately leaving the already overtaxed and congested system with three fewer north-south lanes than before,&rdquo; it wrote<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/construction-halts-obama-presidential-center-noose-found-site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">problems<\/a> have risen, support for the venture has fallen.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the Obama Foundation raked in $129.3 million toward its programming and construction, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hpherald.com\/evening_digest\/obama-foundation-fundraising-drops-in-2023-after-record-high-year\/article_9b3f0f56-6ef1-11ef-bd9a-17cb15cf3a29.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hyde Park Herald<\/a>. The year before, it took in $311,359,661.<\/p>\n<p>And now, a Chicago-based subcontractor has filed a $40 million lawsuit, claiming that racial discriminatory practices have harmed the company, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox32chicago.com\/news\/obama-center-subcontractor-files-40m-discrimination-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WFLD<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The suit was filed against Thornton Tomasetti, the lead firm for the $830 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/obama-presidential-center-will-cost-taxpayers-almost-200-million\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">project<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer,&rdquo; the lawsuit said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;II in One and its joint venture partners &hellip; was subjected to baseless criticisms and defamatory and discriminatory accusations by the Obama Foundation&rsquo;s structural engineer, Thornton Tomasetti,&rdquo; the lawsuit said.<\/p>\n<p>The suit claims Thornton Tomasetti altered standards from those of the American Concrete Institute standards, resulting in &ldquo;excessively rigorous and unnecessary inspection&rdquo; and major cost overruns.<\/p>\n<p>Thornton Tomasetti has said the subcontractor was &ldquo;questionably qualified.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a memo, the company said it and another firm &ldquo;bent over backwards to assist what everyone knows was a questionably qualified subcontractor team in areas where more qualified subcontractor would not have required it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680; The Obama Foundation is facing a $40 million lawsuit over alleged discriminatory building standards at the Obama Presidential Center. &#128680;<\/p>\n<p>But this case exposes a bigger problem: how anti-white policies in contracting are destroying businesses. Let&rsquo;s break it down. &#129525;&#128071; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2MwTBGGEMf\">pic.twitter.com\/2MwTBGGEMf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Painter&rsquo;s Servant (@PaintServant) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PaintServant\/status\/1886831186921574744?\">February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Controversy also surrounds the cost of foundation staff.<\/p>\n<p>Former White House aide and Obama Foundation CEO Valeria Jarrett made $740,000 in one year to run the project, according to the U.K.&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14374019\/Barack-Obama-presidential-library-KENNEDY.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The proposed Obama Center in Chicago has become mired in numerous lawsuits and complications. Initially suggested in 2017 after Barack Obama\u2019s presidency, the project faced immediate resistance from local residents and various concerns. Originally set to open in 2021, the new anticipated opening date is now 2026. The Institute for Policy Innovation criticized the center&#8217;s location as a missed opportunity for better land use and economic growth elsewhere in Chicago. They argued that the Foundation&#8217;s agreement with the city undermines public trust, claiming it proceeded without fulfilling financial requirements or adhering to environmental regulations protecting significant public sites. If completed, the project would displace nearly 1,000 mature trees and disrupt critical migratory bird routes along Lake Michigan. The estimated public cost of associated roadwork exceeds $300 million\u2014funded by federal and state sources but not by the Obama Foundation\u2014resulting in fewer traffic lanes than before.<\/p>\n<p>As challenges have emerged, support for the center has dwindled. In 2023, according to Hyde Park Herald, the Obama Foundation raised $129.3 million for its initiatives and construction efforts; this was down from over $311 million raised in 2022. Additionally, a subcontractor based in Chicago has filed a $40 million lawsuit alleging racial discrimination that negatively impacted their business against Thornton Tomasetti\u2014the lead firm on this $830 million project. The lawsuit claims that an African American owner of a local construction company faces potential closure due to discriminatory practices by Thornton Tomasetti\u2019s structural engineers.<\/p>\n<p>The suit alleges that Thornton Tomasetti deviated from established standards set by the American Concrete Institute leading to excessive inspections and significant cost overruns while asserting that they provided undue assistance to what they deemed an inadequately qualified subcontractor team.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, controversy surrounds compensation within the foundation itself; Valeria Jarrett\u2014a former White House aide now serving as CEO of the Obama Foundation\u2014reportedly earned $740,000 annually overseeing this initiative according to reports from U.K.\u2019s Daily Mail<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2405753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Barack-Obama.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50926,50928,50927,50925,50924],"class_list":["post-2405752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-discrimination-lawsuits","tag-enrichment-allegations","tag-environmental-injunctions","tag-obama-library","tag-poetic-justice"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Barack-Obama.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2405752"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2405757,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405752\/revisions\/2405757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2405753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2405752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2405752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2405752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}