A Democratic lawmaker is asking a federal court to strip Donald Trump's name from one of Washington's most prominent cultural landmarks. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio filed suit on Monday against Trump and members of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board, arguing that last week's vote to rename the building the "Trump Kennedy Center" violates federal law, reports the New York Times.
Beatty's complaint says the board lacked authority to alter the name of the congressionally chartered arts venue without an act of Congress. Beatty, an ex officio member of the center board, is represented by Norman Eisen, a former Obama White House ethics lawyer, and attorney Nathaniel Zelinsky of the Washington Litigation Group. Eisen says that Congress set the center's name by statute, adding, "[Trump] doesn't have a right to change the name."
Beatty said she attempted to participate in the board meeting where the name change was approved but was muted during the call, after which the vote was declared unanimous—which Beatty deemed "just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say," per the AP. The Congressional Black Caucus stands behind Beatty, citing her "courage and integrity" in a Tuesday statement.
The White House has previously rejected the view that congressional approval is needed and indicated it doesn't expect lawmakers to intervene. The president's name was installed on the building's exterior on Friday, and the center's website and social media now use the updated branding. The center and the White House didn't immediately comment on the lawsuit. In a statement, Beatty said that "only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center" and warned that the court must halt "unlawful actions" before "any further damage is done."
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