PRESS RELEASE

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Ignited by Sajet's rejection of Julian Raven’s 2015 7x15' Trump portrait & his eight year legal battle documented in his book exposing Smithsonian corruption?

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 8, 2025 -- The Smithsonian Institution faces a legal and constitutional reckoning after President Trump publicly announced the firing of Kim Sajet, Director of the National Portrait Gallery. Sajet—an Australian-born Dutch national and vocal progressive figure who marched in protest against Trump on January 20, 2017—has refused to step down, asserting institutional independence.

The standoff has reignited urgent legal questions that stem from artist Julian Raven’s 8 year long-running legal battle against the Smithsonian and Director Kim Sajet centered on Smithsonian legal entity status, 1st Amendment Free Speech, political bias, federal overreach and private charities run by the government.

Two Federal Lawsuits Expose Smithsonian’s Constitutional Grey Zone

1. Raven v. Sajet (17-cv-01240-TNM):
In 2017, artist Julian Raven (www.julianraven.com) filed suit after Sajet rejected his 2015 pro-Trump painting, Unafraid and Unashamed. Although federal judge Trevor McFadden ruled Kim Sajet's actions were 'odious' and 'partisan', the case was dismissed under the “government speech” doctrine raising a pivotal question that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to answer: What is the Smithsonian Institution’s legal status under federal law?

This unresolved issue has critical implications. If the Smithsonian is a federal agency, then the President may hold lawful authority to dismiss its employees. But if it exists as a quasi-governmental or merely a private charitable trust—as it often claims—it may lie outside the executive’s direct control. The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant certiorari in Raven’s case left that legal question dangerously unresolved.

2. Raven v. Sajet (22-cv-2809-CRC):
In 2022, Raven filed a second suit, this time arguing that Sajet violated his First Amendment rights by blocking him on Twitter (now X), a platform she used for official purposes. In July 2023, the court allowed the case to proceed, but it is now stayed pending guidance from higher courts on whether such actions by public officials constitute state action.

Washington's Sunday Star News Paper from 1926 confirms assertions of a private charity

Even the media of the past recognized and documented the Smithsonian’s institutional ambiguity. A Washington Sunday Star article from November 14, 1926—recently highlighted on www.smithsoninstitution.com—emphatically stated that the Smithsonian was “privately endowed and privately financed,” with the U.S. government serving merely as “trustee to carry out the design of the testator.” The piece emphasized that the Smithsonian was not a government bureau, but rather a private charitable trust founded with funds from British scientist James Smithson. This early journalism underscores that the public misunderstanding of the Smithsonian as a purely federal agency has persisted for over a century. That same ambiguity is now at the center of Julian Raven’s legal campaign, as the courts—and the public—still lack a definitive ruling on whether the institution is subject to direct presidential authority. The Sunday Star’s recognition of the Smithsonian’s private identity only strengthens the demand for constitutional clarity and public oversight today.

Smithsonian Board of Regents to Meet Privately – June 9, 2025

On Monday, June 9, the Smithsonian Board of Regents will hold its biannual meeting inside the Smithsonian Castle to discuss this conflict between the President of the United States and Kim Sajet and related proposed federal budget cuts. Although the Institution receives over $700 million in taxpayer funding annually, the meeting is closed to the public and press, sparking public calls for immediate transparency.

Julian Raven to Hold Press Conference – June 9 at 1:00 PM

Artist Julian Raven will hold a press conference at 1:00 PM on the sidewalk in front of the Smithsonian Castle.

He will discuss:

His two lawsuits against Kim Sajet and the Smithsonian
The unresolved legal questions surrounding the Smithsonian’s federal status
Why press access and public accountability are urgently needed
Can President Trump fire Kim Sajet?
Should Kim Sajet keep her job?

Raven has documented his extensive legal journey in his book 'Odious and Cerberus: An American Immigrant's Odyssey and His Free Speech Legal War Against Smithsonian Corruption.' His research, legal arguments, and evidence of institutional misconduct are detailed within and also at www.smithsoninstitution.com.

Why This Moment Matters?

Unanswered Questions
Legal Status
Is the Smithsonian a private charity that is treated like a federal agency or a hybrid entity exempt from presidential oversight?
Executive Power
Does the President have the legal authority to fire Smithsonian employees?
Public Oversight
Should taxpayer-funded institutions operate without transparency or public access?

Media Advisory
Event: Julian Raven Press Conference
When: Monday, June 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Where: Sidewalk in front of the Smithsonian Castle, Washington, D.C.
Note: Board of Regents meets inside (meeting closed to public)

Final Word
This is more than a curatorial dispute—it’s a test of the U.S. Constitution’s boundaries and the accountability of publicly funded institutions. With over $700 million at stake and executive power in question, the press must demand access, and the public must insist on answers.
For further details and documentation, visit www.smithsoninstitution.com.

The Smithsonian Institution is not, and never has been considered a government bureau. It is a private institution under the guardianship of the government.”— William Howard Taft, President, Chief Justice & Smithsonian Chancellor