Photo Credit: Igor Omilaev
A Kennedy Center official tells a federal judge that removing Trump’s name from the building would make them go broke, in a new court filing.
On Tuesday, the Kennedy Center’s executive director, Charles Matthew Foca, filed a declaration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In it, the 39-year-old argued that the institution’s funding is inexorably tied to President Trump, end of story.
It’s the latest twist in the legal battle challenging the board’s decision to add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“President Trump’s fundraising on behalf of the Center is exemplified by the tens of millions of dollars already raised,” wrote Floca. “Further, the President has committed to raising $150 billion on its behalf from private donors over the next two years.”
“Should President Trump’s name be removed from the Center, that vital fundraising connection will be severed, causing irreparable harm and fundamentally destabilizing the Center’s development efforts, severely impairing its trust-fund artistic programming, and rendering the continuation of ongoing trust-funded operations financial nonviable,” he explained.
The declaration is the latest filing as part of a lawsuit filed in December by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), challenging the board’s decision to add Trump’s name to the building’s facade, following his installation as chair. Beatty, an ex officio trustee of the Center, blasted the rebranding as an illegal “personal vanity project.” Further, she said she was silenced during a board meeting when she attempted to oppose the name change, as she had been removed from the board.
“Only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center. President Trump and his cronies must not be allowed to trample federal law and bypass Congress to feed his ego,” said Beatty back in December. “This entire process has been a complete disgrace to this cherished institution and the people it serves. These unlawful actions must be blocked before any further damage is done.”
Beatty’s lawsuit also challenges Trump’s plan to close the Center for two years for restoration and renovation work. For now, the Center remains open, but is scheduled to shut down after the Fourth of July celebrations. Meanwhile, its website and physical signage have already been updated to reflect the name change, as well as the 79-year-old president’s name being installed on the building’s facade.
