The Trump administration has asserted executive privilege to shield conversations concerning the renovation plans for the Kennedy Center, according to a court filing by the Justice Department.
A White House lawyer indicated in court documents that this privilege extends to communications between the former president and both government and non-government advisors. This assertion comes amid a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio trustee of the Kennedy Center, who is seeking information about the planned closure and renovation of the performing arts center and whether Trump intended to demolish it.
Deputy White House Counsel Josh Hoyt stated in a sworn declaration that Trump's executive privilege covers any conversations he had with advisors, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca, as well as any staff who advised Trump or his aides on "the President's duties and the effective functioning of the Kennedy Center."
The administration's lawyers argue that Trump, in his capacity as president and chairman of the Kennedy Center board, has an official role in the Center's operations. They contend that his power to select board members necessitates his ability to assess their management of the Center.
During a deposition, an attorney representing Floca reportedly invoked executive privilege to block questions about the director's discussions with Trump and even with Howard Lutnick. Beatty's lawyers have challenged these broad assertions of executive privilege, deeming them "procedurally and substantively improper."
Last month, the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted to close the facility for renovations. This decision followed a federal judge's ruling that blocked Trump's name from appearing on the building's exterior, stemming from an earlier lawsuit by Beatty. In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had previously blocked the planned two-year closure, citing the board's failure to adequately consider the financial and programming impacts.
The Justice Department has since asked Cooper to lift that order to allow renovations to proceed, but a ruling on this motion is still pending.