The Justice Department and lawyers for Representative Joyce Beatty argued in federal court in Washington on Tuesday over whether the Trump administration can withhold communications about the president’s management of the Kennedy Center. Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio member of the center’s board, is suing to stop its planned two-year closure for renovations.
Beatty’s lawyers have requested dozens of text messages and emails involving Trump aides, describing the communications as key evidence in the case. The Justice Department has blocked access to exchanges involving Natalie Harp, a close aide to the president, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who is helping oversee the center. Court filings characterize the messages as part of private deliberations between Trump and his staff.
The dispute has turned on whether Trump can invoke executive privilege to protect confidential discussions with aides. At Tuesday’s hearing, Beatty’s lawyer, Nathaniel Zelinsky, argued that the privilege does not apply to Trump’s role as chairman of the Kennedy Center board.
Trump took over as chairman at the start of his second term. In February, he announced plans to close the institution for two years for a $257 million renovation and has pushed to have his name placed prominently on the building, which is a memorial to President Kennedy.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.