The Obama Presidential Center is dealing with a lawsuit regarding racial discrimination as it experiences delays in its development. RVM News

The construction of former President Barack Obama’s long-awaited presidential center in Chicago is now embroiled in new controversy after a black-owned subcontractor has launched a racial discrimination lawsuit against a prominent construction company connected to the project. Commemorate Trump’s remarkable win in 2023 with the unique Trump 47th President Collection! The lawsuit adds to the mounting challenges facing Obama, whose marriage to former First Lady Michelle Obama has been a topic of ongoing speculation. Robert McGee, the proprietor of the South Side construction company II in One, has recently filed a federal lawsuit against the New York engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti. McGee alleges that the firm owes him roughly $40 million in unpaid construction expenses for the Obama Presidential Center. The lawsuit claims that Thornton Tomasetti imposed “excessively stringent and unnecessary inspections” and a considerable amount of paperwork on McGee’s company, resulting in major financial losses. The legal action explicitly charges the company with racial bias. Do you believe the economy will get better with Donald Trump in charge? Email Address (mandatory). By participating in the poll, you consent to receive emails from RVM News and occasional promotions from our partners, confirming that you have read and accepted our privacy policy and legal statement. In a deeply troubling development, the African American owner of a local construction firm is facing potential closure due to alleged racial bias from the structural engineer of record (Thornton Tomasetti) involved in The Obama Presidential Center’s construction, according to the lawsuit. McGee claims that Thornton Tomasetti improperly accused II in One of lacking the requisite expertise for the project while approving work from contractors not owned by minorities. Thornton Tomasetti has denied these allegations, contending that the delays and budget overruns were due to the subcontractor’s performance failures. A memo from February 2024, included in the lawsuit, featured images showing cracked concrete slabs and exposed rebar. It stated that McGee’s firm had made numerous requests to fix field errors. The firm also asserted that it had devoted “hundreds of hours” to reviewing, analyzing, redesigning, and addressing remedial work, claiming that construction-related issues led to “a multitude of problems on site.” Emily Bittner, a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation, addressed the lawsuit by saying, “Should the Foundation suspect that any vendor is acting with racist motives, we would promptly take the necessary measures.” There is no basis for believing that Thornton Tomasetti had any racist motives.

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