Kennedy Center filing reveals Trump's name could be on the building twice

Trump was ordered to have his name removed from the building.

An overnight filing in the Kennedy Center lawsuit offers new details on last Thursday’s votes to close the center and add President Donald Trump’s name back onto the front of the building.

The Kennedy Center's board voted 23-3 to close the facility for two years as part of a $285 million renovation plan, according to a new court filing that provides additional details about last week's controversial votes involving the center.

The board, members of which were largely appointed by Trump, also voted to add Trump's name back onto the Kennedy Center building as many as two more times, according to the filing.

The details were included in a joint filing submitted overnight in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who is challenging actions taken by the Kennedy Center's board under Trump's leadership.

Closure Plan

The Kennedy Center board voted to close the facility for two years to conduct a roughly $285 million renovation, much of which would be covered by the $256.7 million that Congress set aside for repair and restoration of the center last year.

The other option called for a series of partial closures over four years and would have cost roughly $560 million, according to the filing.

Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca said in a sworn declaration that the consultant advised the board that the four-year partial closure plan would cost more and "present substantial safety concerns."

Floca also said the plan could negatively affect the center's fundraising and cause "reputational damage" as patrons attended events "in and around a construction site" for years.

Under the two-year closure plan, programming and the building's JFK memorial would be moved to the smaller, adjacent rehearsal facility known as The REACH, according to the filing.

The Kennedy Center Honors and Mark Twain Prize would be moved offsite, while the National Symphony Orchestra would perform at other venues, with the Kennedy Center providing "support."

Beatty's lawyers argued in the filing that the closure vote was based on a "vague, two-page PowerPoint provided to the Board just two days before the meeting."

The filing does not identify which other board members voted against the closure plan but ABC News has learned that two of the “no” votes against the closure plan were ex-officio members Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington).

Trump name

The board also voted to restore Trump's name to the Kennedy Center building, according to the filing, in a move that could potentially see the president’s name added in two places.

Beatty said last week that an outdoor space would be named "The President Donald J. Trump Plaza."

The resolution described Trump as the center's savior, saying it "would be in financial ruin without President Trump's unique stature as both an unparalleled fundraiser and world-class developer."

The resolution also said it was "solely due" to Trump's role as chairman that Congress and financial backers were willing to fund the center's restoration.

Under the resolution, after an endowment known as the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reaches a $100 million fundraising goal, an additional line would be added to the building:

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund

Beatty's lawyers called the effort to restore Trump's name, after a judge ordered it removed, a "breathtaking act of defiance" and urged the court to block it.

Tarp and scaffolding

The filing also addresses the tarp and scaffolding that have covered part of the Kennedy Center facade since Trump's name was removed in June.

Kennedy Center management said the tarp and scaffolding "helped safeguard the marble facade of the building in light of reported panel damage" and remain necessary for ongoing construction, including water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang of the portico.

Beatty's lawyers disputed that explanation, saying the rationale for the tarp "make no sense and suggest that their current explanations are pretextual."

"Defendants state they intend to use the scaffolding to examine the roof overhang," Beatty's lawyers wrote. They argued that the soffits are "some twenty feet or more above the scaffolding" and questioned why similar scaffolding had not been erected around other portions of the center.

Beatty's lawyers argued that the fact that the scaffolding has remained in place while obscuring the Kennedy Center's name indicates that it is intended to prevent Trump's name from being removed.

Beatty's team also suggested that the removal of Trump's name may have caused damage to the building.

Beatty's lawyers are asking Judge Christopher Cooper to block the two-year closure and prevent Trump's name from being added back to the building. They are asking Cooper to act before Sept. 8.

Kennedy Center management said it will wait until Sept. 8 before adding Trump's name back to the facade, giving Cooper an opportunity to rule on the issue.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola