Administration Lawyer Chosen to Lead Panel Considering Trump Construction Projects

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMark Paoletta, also a close associate of Justice Clarence Thomas’s, has been named by President Trump to lead the National Capital Planning Commission.As the chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, Mark Paoletta will be tasked with vetting President Trump’s planned arch and other construction projects.Credit...Tierney L. Cross/The New York TimesLuke BroadwaterLuke Broadwater, a White House reporter, has covered President Trump’s construction projects around the capital.Aug. 26, 2026, 7:12 p.m. ETPresident Trump has named Mark Paoletta, a lawyer in his administration and a close associate of Justice Clarence Thomas’s, to lead the panel that will oversee the construction of several of his prized construction projects, including the planned Triumphal Arch.Mr. Paoletta, who also serves as the general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, will replace Will Scharf, a White House official who is set to become the White House counsel in September.As the chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, Mr. Paoletta will be tasked with vetting Mr. Trump’s planned arch, the National Garden of American Heroes and the creation of a luxury golf course nearby, as well as other major construction projects the president undertakes.Mr. Paoletta previously worked for Vice President Mike Pence and represented Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Thomas, before the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.“President Trump has transformed D.C. into a capital worthy of the greatest nation in history,” Mr. Paoletta said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to further the president’s historic restoration and beautification of the National Capital Region, especially in the 250th year of our country’s independence.”Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.Related ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT