Judge Seeks Trump Administration Records on Kennedy Center Closure Plans

Representatives of Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and Kennedy Center board member, have petitioned U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to order the Trump administration to produce emails and text messages it has refused to disclose. The filing argues that the withheld records, labeled by the administration as privileged presidential communications, show the president’s frequent interaction with the center’s management, either directly or through aides.

Requested materials include 19 texts between Kennedy Center executive director and CEO Matt Floca and Trump aide Natalie Harp, as well as roughly 180 messages between Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who acted as a liaison. Beatty’s team says the lack of access prevents a full understanding of the administration’s actions surrounding the decision to close the historic venue for renovations. Cooper, who previously blocked the addition of Trump’s name to the building, has not yet issued a ruling on the disclosure request. The White House has not commented.