Maryland Sues Trump Administration Over FBI Headquarters Relocation

Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times,

Maryland officials filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday for canceling the previously approved construction of a new FBI headquarters northeast of the nation’s capital, arguing the action goes against federal law and congressional directives.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, along with other state leaders, lambasted the Trump administration’s plan to move the FBI’s headquarters several blocks from its present-day location in Washington to the Ronald Reagan Building complex, rather than to Greenbelt, Maryland. The Biden administration had selected Greenbelt as the site for the new FBI building after planning the move for years.

Moore, a Democrat, told a news conference that the current FBI building is “too old, too small, and too exposed.” He said it “lacks the modern security provisions and protections that the bureau needs in 2025.”

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, a Democrat, said the Trump administration’s blocking of the agreed-upon plan, which entailed years of planning by Congress, is illegal.

“What we’re really seeing is an administration that doesn’t like the decision Congress made, so they’re trying to undo it without going back to Congress,” Brown said.

“That violates federal law. It violates congressional directives. It harms Marylanders who were promised jobs and opportunities. That’s why we took action.”

Brown accused the Trump administration of  “attempting to unlawfully reprogram and transfer over $1 billion in funds that Congress designated specifically for the Greenbelt project.”

The federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, requests the court to “stop the unlawful selection of the Reagan Building, prevent the diversion of congressionally appropriated funds and ensure the Trump administration follows the law,” according to Brown.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said building the headquarters in Greenbelt would be the largest economic development project in the history of the county, creating more than 7,500 jobs and adding about $4 billion in economic benefit to the county and the state.

Maryland and Virginia had originally competed for the new location.

‘Cost-Effective’ Solution

FBI Director Kash Patel has said the Reagan Building offers a faster, more cost-effective solution, while remaining near the Department of Justice and other national security agencies.

“This is a historic moment for the FBI,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement in July.

“Moving to the Ronald Reagan Building is the most cost-effective and resource-efficient way to carry out our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”

Patel announced in May that the FBI was leaving its Washington headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building, for safety reasons, and that 1,500 FBI employees would be sent across the United States.

The FBI and General Services Administration released a joint statement in July that relocating the FBI headquarters a few blocks away to an existing property would eliminate the need to construct a brand-new building, which they argued would have taken years and been expensive for taxpayers.

The Reagan Building houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other tenants.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 10 voted to halt the FBI’s planned move to the Ronald Reagan building, but reversed its decision a week later.