{"id":2612734,"date":"2026-06-09T23:29:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T03:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-slams-last-minute-lawsuit-trying-to-stop-ufc-white-house-event\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T23:31:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T03:31:24","slug":"doj-slams-last-minute-lawsuit-trying-to-stop-ufc-white-house-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-slams-last-minute-lawsuit-trying-to-stop-ufc-white-house-event\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ slams last-minute lawsuit trying to stop UFC White House event"},"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\">22<\/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%2Fdoj-slams-last-minute-lawsuit-trying-to-stop-ufc-white-house-event%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=2612734&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 Trump administration urged a federal judge too dismiss a last-minute lawsuit filed by a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >left-wing activist group aimed<\/a> at blocking the \u201cUFC Freedom 250\u201d fight planned at the White House. The event is scheduled for Sunday evening with weigh-ins and faceoffs at the Lincoln Memorial, and the lawsuit claims the planned White House and NPS-related activities are unlawful and burdensome to taxpayers, alleging they violate National Park Service rules for sporting events.<\/p>\n<p>In a Tuesday brief, the Justice Department argued the challengers waited too long-despite the event being publicly announced well before-so they should not recieve emergency relief. The government also maintained that NPS regulations do not prohibit the UFC activities. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta,with the plaintiffs given until Wednesday evening to respond and both sides indicating they could argue Thursday. The suit is brought by Virginia residents Paul Romano and Susan Douglas, backed by the Public Integrity Project, which has pursued other lawsuits and initiatives involving Trump administration actions.  <\/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<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> urged a federal judge to toss a last-minute <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/courts\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"439\">lawsuit<\/a> filed by a left-wing activist group seeking to block the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 fight at the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4530307\/freedom-250-ufc-fight-white-house\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4530307\/freedom-250-ufc-fight-white-house\/\">UFC Freedom 250<\/a> event is set to take place Sunday, which is both Flag Day and President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s 80th birthday, on the South Lawn of the White House, with the weigh-ins and faceoffs to be at the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit filed against the National Park Service, along with other federal agencies and officials, by two Virginia residents backed by the left-wing activist group Public Integrity Project, alleges the planned events at the White House and Lincoln Memorial are \u201cdeeply corrupt,\u201d violating NPS regulations on sporting events on its property and being a burden to taxpayers. The Department of Justice, in its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217\/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217.11.0.pdf\">brief<\/a> filed Tuesday evening, took aim at the two residents for filing their lawsuit on the eve of the event, which was announced in 2025, while also asserting that \u201cNPS\u2019s regulations do not prohibit the UFC Freedom 250 activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4600891\/trump-another-pick-fifth-circuit-court-appeals\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump will get another pick on influential federal appeals court<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4600207\/vance-refers-walz-ellison-doj-fraud-whistleblower-complaint\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Vance refers Tim Walz and Keith Ellison to DOJ over fraud whistleblower complaint<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4599534\/trump-doj-intensifies-scrutiny-california-ballot-counts-continue\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump DOJ intensifies scrutiny of California as ballot counting continues<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ brief noted the millions of dollars spent, hours of labor expended, travel accommodations made by attendees of the event, and 14 fighters who trained for months and who could have their hopes \u201cdashed at the very last moment\u201d by two random people who \u201cthink the sights and sounds associated with UFC Freedom 250 are \u2018hideous\u2019 and \u2018disgusting.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,\u201d the DOJ filing said. \u201cInstead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America. And they have chosen to do so only after Defendants and many third parties \u2014 the White House, the UFC, and ticketholders \u2014 have expended enormous time and vast resources for events starting in just days. A more starkly mismatched balance of harms would be difficult to conceive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPlaintiffs\u2019 delay is inexcusable. These events were publicly announced almost a year ago; the dates were confirmed by the White House three months ago; and site preparations have been publicly visible for weeks. This alone suffices to deny emergency relief,\u201d the DOJ brief added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Sunday, with a\u00a0seven-fight lineup\u00a0planned, in a specially constructed outdoor venue known as \u201cthe Claw\u201d on the South Lawn. The venue will have 4,500 seats, while thousands more will be able to watch the fights from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-ufc-fight-logistics-a-lot-fighter-michael-chandler-warns\/\" title=\"Trump ... logistics &#039;a lot,&#039; fighter Michael Chandler warns\">large screens set<\/a> up on the Ellipse, and the event will be televised on Paramount+.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group suing the administration over the UFC fight will have until Wednesday evening to respond to the DOJ\u2019s filing, with both sides saying they would be available for oral argument on Thursday if the judge deems it necessary. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has been assigned to handle the case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lawsuit against the National Park Service aiming to stop the UFC fight on the White House\u2019s South Lawn was filed by the Public Integrity Project, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/antifa-blm-vandalize-ice-building-burn-original-starbucks\/\" title=\"Antifa, BLM vandalize ICE building, burn original Starbucks\">left-wing group<\/a> that has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-dominoes-are-falling-minnesota-gov-walz-rescinds-all-occupancy-requirements-on-churches-following-lawsuit\/\" title=\"\u2018The Dominoes Are Falling\u2019: Minnesota Gov. Walz Rescinds All Occupancy Requirements On Churches Following ...\">filed similar lawsuits<\/a> to stop Trump administration actions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group was founded earlier this year, backed by former Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold and former DOJ prosecutor Brendan Ballou as its CEO. Ballou worked at the DOJ from 2020 until 2025, saying Trump\u2019s pardons of Jan. 6 rioters were his reason for resigning. The Public Integrity Project has also filed lawsuits against the DOJ\u2019s proposed $1.776 \u201canti-weaponization fund,\u201d the Trump administration-brokered sale of the majority of TikTok\u2019s U.S. operations to a group of investors, and the architect of the Capitol for not installing a congressionally-approved plaque about the Capitol riot.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two people who are leading the lawsuit against the UFC fight are Virginia residents Paul Romano and Susan Douglas. The left-wing group describes Romano as a Vietnam War veteran who previously ran for office as a Republican and Douglas as a Democratic organizer and civic activist. Federal Election Commission data indicate both Romano and Douglas donated to former Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019s unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign against Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4530307\/freedom-250-ufc-fight-white-house\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4530307\">WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FREEDOM 250 UFC FIGHT ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other controversial construction project on the White House grounds, the planned East Wing ballroom, has faced months of litigation in federal court, even as construction has continued. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4596573\/dc-circuit-grills-doj-white-house-bid-continue-building-ballroom\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4596573\/dc-circuit-grills-doj-white-house-bid-continue-building-ballroom\/\">heard arguments<\/a> in the administration\u2019s bid to keep construction on the ballroom going, with the judges appearing skeptical of both the administration\u2019s bid to build the ballroom and the ability for the group suing the administration to even sue to stop ballroom construction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump administration asked a federal judge to dismiss a last-minute lawsuit by a left-wing group trying to block the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2612735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26158675820464.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7076,4585,8095,32127],"class_list":["post-2612734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-doj","tag-lawsuit","tag-ufc","tag-white-house"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26158675820464.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612734","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\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612734"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612738,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612734\/revisions\/2612738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}