President Donald Trump has named Will Scharf, a deeply conservative lawyer and current staff secretary, as his new White House counsel. Scharf will replace David Warrington, who is leaving the administration to join the private sector, in early September, Trump said.
Scharf previously headed the commission that secured Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project. That project is now at the center of a court fight.
A federal appeals court has ordered construction on the ballroom halted for now, ruling that decisions about it rest with Congress and are not a matter for executive self-help. The Trump administration had requested $1 billion for the project, but Congress refused in May.
Trump vowed an immediate appeal to the Supreme Court, saying the ruling jeopardizes the lives of future presidents.