Rep. Joyce Beatty's legal team says the Department of Justice has failed to produce key financial records and communications tied to reported threats by President Donald Trump to close or demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to a recent court filing highlighted by Forbes.
Missing Records: Beatty's attorneys allege the government did not deliver financial documents it had previously agreed to provide, specifically citing records for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The filing calls those materials "core financial documents" and says Justice Department attorneys indicated no further financial records would be produced.
Executive Privilege Disputed: The filing also challenges the administration's invocation of executive privilege to withhold information about two alleged threats by President Trump — who, as president, is closely tied to the Kennedy Center's board. Beatty's lawyers described the privilege claim as "plainly inappropriate," arguing that presidential communications are not automatically exempt from disclosure. They asked the court to extend discovery so they can pursue the records they say are owed.
President Donald Trump's post on Truth Social | @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Court Orders and Timeline: Under a scheduling order issued last month, discovery is set to close on Oct. 9. A prior court directive gave the government a deadline to respond to related requests by Tuesday. Those deadlines frame the immediate procedural stakes in the dispute.
Judicial and Legislative Responses: The records fight follows a Sept. 17 order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper requiring the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes, including demolition of the main building. Separately, lawmakers are considering a bipartisan measure that would require congressional approval to demolish a presidential memorial designated by Congress; sponsors hope to attach the measure to must-pass legislation later this year.
On Truth Social, President Trump wrote: "The Kennedy Center is crumbling, and a great danger to anyone who walks inside," adding that the situation will "only get worse unless the Radical Left Judge, with his Trump Hating lawyer wife, allows me to do what must be done!"
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment. With discovery deadlines approaching and both court and congressional moves in play, the legal and political disputes over the Kennedy Center's future are expected to continue into the fall.
