The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts adopted new bylaws earlier this year that limited voting to presidentially appointed trustees, according to a new report by the Washington Post.
The new bylaws, which came prior to a vote to add President Donald Trump’s name to the organization, state that board members designated by Congress — known as ex officio members — could not vote or count toward a quorum, per the outlet.
Other changes include that general trustees “serve at the pleasure of the President.” That language previously only appeared in reference to the Advisory Committee on the Arts, a separate group that makes recommendations to the board. Additionally, language was added allowing the chair to appoint the center’s president as its chief executive.
The Post also obtained copies of the Kenney Center’s May and September board meeting minutes, which showed that many ex officio members were absent or sent a staffer in their place.
Representatives for the Kennedy Center and the White House did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment. However, a spokesperson for the former told the Post that ex officio members have never voted.
“The bylaws were revised to reflect this longstanding precedent and everyone received the technical changes both before the meeting and after revisions,” Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president of public relations, told the outlet. “Some members (including ex officio) attended in person, others by phone, and no concerns were voiced, no one objected, and the bylaws passed unanimously.”
Per the Kennedy Center’s website, the organization has a total of 35 members who were appointed by the president, including Trump himself as chair. The Kennedy Center’s president Richard Grenell also serves as a board member.
It also has 23 ex officio members, including members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts chair Billie Tsien, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee, the director of the National Park Service and Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch.
While the law identifies the ex officio members as part of the board of trustees, it does not distinguish between voting and non-voting members. Per its latest available tax filing, the board had a total of 59 voting members, which included general and ex officio members, under the previous bylaws.
Ex officio member Rep. Joyce Beatty has accused the Kennedy Center of censoring her during the vote. Beatty has since filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claiming that the vote exceeded its statutory authority and requested that a judge declare it to be void.
Others who have slammed the move include Actors Equity and members of John F. Kennedy’s family. Several performers on the organization’s schedule have also backed out, including The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers and Chuck Redd. Grenell threatened Redd with a $1 million lawsuit following the move.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was named in the late president’s honor in 1964 following his assassination.
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