Beatty asks judge to reject presidential privilege claim over Trump's Kennedy Center board role
Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawsuit asks a federal judge to reject the Justice Department's executive privilege claim over Donald Trump's communications as Kennedy Center chairman. On Friday the judge ordered some financial records handed over but has not ruled on the privilege claim.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 1Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, has sued the Kennedy Center as an ex officio board member to stop the renaming of the center and its planned two-year closure. The IndependentLC “Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, has sued the center in her capacity as an ex officio board member to stop the renaming of the center and its planned two-year closure.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Beatty's lawyers filed a motion on Monday asking the federal judge to strip the board of presidential communications privilege, which it has invoked to withhold communications involving its chairman, Donald Trump. Raw StoryL “Beatty has asked a federal judge to strip the board of presidential communications privilege, which it has invoked to withhold its chairman's communications.” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “On Monday, Beatty’s lawyers objected to the DOJ’s attempt to use executive privilege to limit what evidence the Kennedy Center has to turn over as part of her case” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2The motion calls the privilege assertion "sweeping" and says it "appears to be unprecedented". It argues that Trump is chair of a nonprofit corporation's board and that his decisions lie at the heart of the board's actions, so allowing the privilege would "obstruct the search for the truth". Raw StoryL “Beatty's motion, which Klasfeld read in the episode, calls the government's privilege assertion "sweeping" and says it "appears to be unprecedented."” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “The lawyers argued that using executive privilege in this context would “obstruct the search for the truth.”” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 1During depositions this week, Justice Department lawyers told Kennedy Center executive director Matt Floca not to answer questions about his conversations with Trump and his advisers. Asked what Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said when first contacting Floca, a DOJ lawyer said, "Executive privilege on that. Don't answer that," according to a deposition transcript reported by the Washington Post. The IndependentLC “DOJ lawyers instructed Kennedy Center’s executive director, Matt Floca, to not answer questions about his conversations with Trump and his advisers”““Executive privilege on that. Don’t answer that,” a transcript of the deposition showed.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1On Friday, according to the Washington Post as relayed by The Independent, the judge ordered the center to turn over some financial records but gave the DOJ more time to respond on the executive privilege claims, so that question remains undecided. The IndependentLC “On Friday, a judge told the center to turn over some records but gave the Department of Justice more time to respond to its executive privilege claims, according to the Washington Post.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Executive privilege typically lets presidents keep certain conversations related to official duties private. Jonathan Shaub, a University of Kentucky law professor and former DOJ lawyer, told the Post that if the president is not acting as president, it does not apply. The Independent called the DOJ's use of it unusual because Trump holds two jobs. The IndependentLC “Jonathan Shaub, a University of Kentucky law professor who previously worked in the DOJ, told the Post, “If the president is not acting in his capacity as president, it doesn’t apply.””“But the DOJ’s use of executive privilege in this case is unusual, given that Trump has two jobs — president and Kennedy Center chairman.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 1Legal analyst Adam Klasfeld of All Rise News argued on the "Legal AF" show that the privilege position collapses because Trump directs the board as chairman, and called the board "a rubber stamp for his decisions". Raw StoryL “Klasfeld said that position collapses because Trump calls the shots as chairman, not just as president.”“"They're a rubber stamp for his decisions," he said.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Klasfeld said the sought communications go to motive. He said Trump, the board and Lutnick blamed the closure on dire finances and a crumbling structure, but public tax filings showed the center earning millions more than it spent before Trump took over. He said Beatty contends the closure is a ruse to hide embarrassment and financial mismanagement. Raw StoryL “Trump, the board and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have blamed the closure of the center on its dire finances and crumbling structure. But Klasfeld said public tax filings tell a different story.”“Klasfeld said Beatty contends the closure is "all a ruse to try to hide their embarrassment and their financial mismanagement."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Beatty has already won an order from a federal judge for Trump's name to be removed from the building, but the Independent reported she has hit a snag in her fight to keep the center open. The IndependentLC “While Beatty was successful in getting a federal judge to order Trump’s name to be removed from the building, she’s hit a snag in her fight to keep the Kennedy Center open.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present Beatty's challenge as a credible check on Trump using privilege to shield his role at the Kennedy Center. Raw Story relays a commentator's argument that the claim is fatally flawed; The Independent reports the court developments and a legal expert's doubt.
- Emphasis
- Raw Story stresses Trump's control of a compliant board and the contested financial rationale for the closure. The Independent stresses the deposition instruction to Floca and the judge's partial order.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet gives the DOJ's or the board's arguments for the privilege claim in their own words, and neither quotes a defence of the closure beyond a summary.
- Charged language
- “'Chairman Trump' creates fatal flaw”“shrine to himself”“rubber stamp”“hide evidence”“keep Trump’s role secret”
- For example
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“"All so he can call the shots and transform a living memorial to John F. Kennedy into a shrine to himself."” — Raw Story
“The DOJ invoked executive privilege to keep Trump’s role in the operations of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts secret.” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Beatty's lawyers filed Monday arguing the executive privilege claim is improper because Trump acts as chairman of a nonprofit board.
- The DOJ has invoked executive privilege to limit disclosure of Trump's communications about the Kennedy Center.
- Trump is chairman of the Kennedy Center board, which he filled with loyalists.
Joyce Beatty person
Beatty, through her lawyers, says the privilege claim is sweeping and unprecedented and would obstruct the search for the truth, since Trump's decisions as board chair are the subject of the case.
“Allowing defendants to hide behind this unwarranted assertion of privilege would obstruct the search for the truth.” — Raw Story
Donald Trump person
Trump, with his board and the Justice Department, invokes privilege over his communications as chairman; the DOJ told a witness not to answer questions about talks with him. Per Raw Story, Trump and the board cite dire finances and a crumbling structure for closing the center.
“"Executive privilege on that. Don’t answer that,"” — The Independent
“Trump, the board and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have blamed the closure of the center on its dire finances and crumbling structure.” — Raw Story
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts organisation
The Kennedy Center, represented by DOJ lawyers, has been ordered to produce some financial records while the judge weighs the privilege claim.
“A federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center to turn over more financial records” — The Independent
Left2 articles
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'Chairman Trump' creates fatal flaw in Kennedy Center's efforts to hide evidence: expert
Critical Relays a legal commentator's view that Trump's dual role fatally undermines the privilege claim and that the closure rationale is doubtful.
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Mixed Reports the judge's partial order and the DOJ privilege fight, citing the Post and NYT, with an expert noting the claim's unusual fit.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 00:16 First Raw StoryL 'Chairman Trump' creates fatal flaw in Kennedy Center's efforts to hide evidence: expert
- 9 Oct 23:54 +71h 38m The IndependentLC Judge orders to Kennedy Center to turn over financial records as DOJ fights to keep Trump’s role secret
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.