Judge asked to compel Trump administration to disclose emails and texts about Kennedy Center plans
Summary
Rep. Joyce Beatty’s attorneys asked a federal judge to order the Trump administration to disclose records about President Donald Trump’s involvement in Kennedy Center management and plans to close the center. The administration has withheld the records, citing presidential communications privilege; Judge Christopher Cooper had not ruled on the request at the time of the article.Key Facts
- Beatty is an Ohio Democrat and an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board.
- Her attorneys said a record list indicates Trump was in frequent contact with center management, directly or through intermediaries.
- The withheld records include 19 text messages between center CEO Matt Floca and Trump executive assistant Natalie Harp.
- Beatty’s attorneys said Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick exchanged about 180 center-related text messages, with Lutnick acting as Trump’s go-between.
- The Kennedy Center board voted on Sept. 15 to close the facility, and Floca ordered a temporary closure of its main building the next day.
- Cooper ruled in May that the Kennedy Center had illegally added Trump’s name to the building and ordered its removal.
- On Sept. 17, Cooper ordered the center to give 30 days’ notice before making major physical changes to the building.
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