Q&A
Defunding of Brooklyn Museum during Giuliani administration
0:20:37
·
99 sec
Speaker Adams questions Goode-Trufant about the Giuliani administration's attempt to defund the Brooklyn Museum over objectionable exhibits, which was ruled a First Amendment violation. Goode-Trufant clarifies her previous statement about the handling of the case by the then-Corporation Counsel.
- Speaker Adams recounts the case where Mayor Giuliani attempted to cut funding to the Brooklyn Museum over exhibit content
- The court ruled this action a clear violation of the First Amendment
- Goode-Trufant explains that her previous comment about the former Corporation Counsel doing 'what he thought was best' was not an endorsement of the legal basis for the mayor's actions
- The discussion highlights the importance of protecting First Amendment rights in government decisions
Adrienne E. Adams
0:20:37
Okay.
0:20:37
I'm gonna move on.
0:20:39
During the Giuliani administration, the mayor decided the city could cut off funding to the Brooklyn Museum because the may because of the mayor's objections to what the museum was exhibiting.
0:20:52
The general councils representing the council, the public advocate, the comptroller, and the borough presidents all opposed the mayor stating their common opinion that doing so would be a violation of the first amendment.
0:21:06
Notwithstanding the objections of the attorneys representing all of the all the other divisions of city government, the corporation council argued on behalf of the mayor's position in court.
0:21:18
The court ruled that defunding the museum was a clear violation of the first amendment and ordered that funding be restored.
0:21:27
In your pre hearing questions, you are asked your opinion of how the corporation counsel, then Michael Hess, handled that matter.
0:21:36
You responded that he did what he thought was best at the time.
0:21:40
By your written answer, are you saying that you believe there was a legal basis for the mayor refusing to fund a museum based on his opinion of the exhibits inside?
Muriel Goode-Trufant
0:21:52
I was not saying that.
0:21:53
I I was acknowledging that, the former corporation counsel Michael Hess, found himself in a challenging situation, which is I think the case for every corporation council and he did, what in his, estimation was best at the time.
