In their final brief ahead of judgment, Rep. Beatty demonstrates that Trump’s handpicked director confirms the beloved Kennedy Center can remain open, and that the Trump administration failed to conduct a review as once claimed.

Washington, D.C.—Rep. Joyce Beatty filed her final brief addressing testimony provided by Kennedy Center Director Matt Floca during recent proceedings. The filing argues that Floca’s testimony confirmed what the congresswoman had argued all along: Defendants never conducted a one-year review process despite what President Trump claimed; they never considered the harms from closing the Kennedy Center; and they acknowledged the facility can remain open while any necessary renovations are completed.

As stated in the brief, Floca conceded that he did not consider—let alone “make an effort to quantify”—the “lost revenue, lost goodwill, lost performances” and other non-construction related costs of closure.

“Floca’s own words make it clear that there was no due diligence and no consideration given to the devastating harm closure would cause to this treasured national institution,” said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Action and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group. “This is a monumental breach of Defendants’ fiduciary duties, and we appreciate the Court hearing the congresswoman’s emergency motion to protect this sacred memorial to a fallen president for the benefit of the American public.”

Read the full brief here.

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Democracy Defenders Action brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

The Washington Litigation Group is a nonpartisan team of attorneys dedicated to defending individuals and institutions that have been unlawfully targeted for exercising their legal rights and to fighting against governmental overreach.