politics
Trump administration must provide Kennedy Center renovation plans to board members before key closure vote, judge rules
A slew of documents related to President Donald Trump’s efforts to close and extensively renovate the Kennedy Center must be turned over to a Democratic congresswoman who sits on the center’s board ahead of a Monday vote on the president’s plan, a federal judge has ruled.
TL;DR
- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide documents related to the Kennedy Center's closure and renovation plans to Representative Joyce Beatty.
- Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman and ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board, is challenging the legality of Trump's closure plan.
- The judge ruled that the rule change prohibiting ex-officio members from voting is likely void but did not order Beatty's vote to be restored.
- Trump's plan includes extensive renovations, a potential renaming of the center, and a two-year closure starting in July.
- Experts warn of severe, irreversible harm to bookings, donors, and staff if the closure proceeds as planned.
- The Trump administration had argued the plans were preliminary, a claim the judge dismissed.
- Richard Grenell is being replaced as the center's president by Matt Floca amid negative headlines about the revamp.