Maryland simply took the Trump administration to court docket over a surprising FBI headquarters reversal

Maryland has determined to sue the FBI as a result of the company broke its promise to construct a brand new headquarters in Greenbelt. The FBI stated it’s going to use a constructing that already exists in downtown Washington, D.C. as a substitute, which made Maryland upset sufficient to take authorized motion.

In response to The Hill, the state says the Trump administration went towards what Congress needed and moved $555 million to a unique venture with out permission. The FBI spent years choosing between completely different places and selected Greenbelt in 2023. However then in July 2025, the FBI and the Basic Companies Administration all of the sudden stated they might use the Ronald Reagan Constructing as a substitute. This constructing had additional room after the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement shut down.

Maryland believes this surprising FBI headquarters reversal breaks the foundations that Congress set. The state filed papers saying Congress gave more money particularly for constructing in Greenbelt after it received the competitors. “These actions flouted Congress’s specific path to decide on a website from the three specified websites, in addition to different particular statutory directives regarding the number of the location and the usage of the funds,” the lawsuit says.

This isn’t nearly a constructing location

The FBI wants to maneuver out of the place it really works now on the J. Edgar Hoover Constructing in D.C. as a result of the place is falling aside. Staff even put up nets to catch items of the skin partitions that hold breaking off so that they don’t harm individuals strolling on the road.

Two Maryland senators, Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, launched a press release saying “The Trump Administration has no grounds to disregard this choice, or redirect even one penny that Congress particularly appropriated for development of the competitively chosen website.”

Additionally they complained that officers are “refusing to reply fundamental questions across the prices to taxpayers and safety of the brand new website, or present further particulars on their plans.” The Trump administration has confronted different latest controversies involving federal businesses and congressional oversight.

Maryland additionally says the Reagan Constructing has loads of points by itself. Stories from earlier than confirmed it wants $95 million to repair the fireplace security system and $38 million to “restore of a number of cylindrical drum leaks on the constructing’s core.” Maryland has been within the information just lately for different points affecting its residents as nicely. The state thinks the constructing would want main work to make it protected sufficient for the FBI.

Three completely different locations competed to get the brand new FBI headquarters, which meant Maryland and Virginia have been preventing towards one another.

Virginia says the entire choice course of had issues and needed every thing to cease after the Workplace of Inspector Basic agreed to look into it. The earlier FBI Director Christopher Wray had introduced up “considerations about equity and transparency within the course of” and stated the GSA had a “failure to stick to its personal website choice plan.”

The present FBI Director Kash Patel defined the selection when he informed everybody about it in July. He stated “Shifting to the Ronald Reagan Constructing is essentially the most price efficient and useful resource environment friendly method to perform our mission to guard the American individuals and uphold the Structure.”

He thinks utilizing a constructing that’s already there makes extra sense than spending cash to assemble one thing model new. The FBI didn’t say something when requested concerning the lawsuit, and the GSA additionally refused to remark.