Exclusive | Trump picks new leader of agency overseeing construction of White House ballroom, DC arch

WASHINGTON — President Trump has selected a new chairman to lead the federal agency charged with supervising major DC-area development projects — including oversight of the under-construction White House ballroom and the proposed triumphal arch along the Potomac River.Mark Paoletta, appointed Wednesday by Trump to be chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, already holds four other jobs in the administration, including serving as general counsel of the White House Office of Management and Budget.He replaces Will Scharf, who is transitioning into his new role as White House counsel.Paoletta is known for his loyalty to Trump, including through his years in political exile.He is one of very few administration officials, alongside OMB Director Russ Vought, who returned last year to the same post as he held in Trump’s first term.“I am honored to be appointed by President Trump to serve as Chairman of the NCPC,” Paoletta said.“President Trump has transformed DC into a Capital worthy of the greatest nation in history.

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.”As is the case with other prominent administration officials — most notably Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Paoletta has been entrusted with a growing portfolio of management roles.He also serves as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which the Trump administration has attempted to shrink or shutter, and as chief legal officer of USAID, which was all-but dismantled and rolled into the State Department last year, though it technically has not been abolished.In addition, he is acting administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the federal office that reviews proposed regulations.Paoletta has a long history in conservative legal circles and is a friend of Supreme Court Just...