WASHINGTON - s4story -- Press Conference and Book Launch of Second Edition: "Odious and Cerberus- Kim Sajet Resigns"
Author, artist, and constitutional pro se litigant Julian Raven
Monday, July 21, 2025 — 1:00 p.m. EST
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Odious and Cerberus: An American Immigrant's Odyssey and His Free-Speech Legal War Against Smithsonian Corruption

The new edition arrives amid heightened public discourse about constitutional interpretation, transparency, and the role of federally funded cultural institutions. The book recounts Raven's multi-year legal experience involving First Amendment claims tied to the Smithsonian Institution and its governance structure.

The 2022 book featuring Kim Sajet as the antagonist, draws on classical allegory, referencing Cerberus—the mythical three-headed guardian of the underworld—as a metaphor for the Smithsonian's leadership. This framing was also invoked in a 2019 federal court decision by Judge Trevor McFadden (Case No. 17-cv-01240 TNM), which described the Smithsonian's Board of Regents as "Cerberus-like."

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The Board of Regents includes:

• The Chief Justice of the United States (Judicial Branch)
• The Vice President of the United States (Executive Branch)
• Members of the House and Senate (Legislative Branch)
• Nine private citizens

This unique structure has prompted legal and scholarly debate regarding the separation of powers and whether such a configuration supports the court's & Institution's classification as the government through and through or an independent entity under the Constitution. Raven has raised concerns about how this framework intersects with free speech protections in taxpayer-funded environments.

Case Background
In 2016, Raven submitted a portrait titled Unafraid and Unashamed, depicting then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, to the National Portrait Gallery. He states that the rejection was communicated directly by then-Director Kim Sajet.

Following the decision, Raven filed two federal lawsuits involving First Amendment claims and the issue of viewpoint neutrality. The second suit also addressed use of a Smithsonian-associated Twitter account in light of case law such as Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump and Lindke v. Freed. The case was ultimately dismissed after emergency review was denied.

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In May 2025, Raven's original case was cited as #4 on the list of 17 reasons to fire Smithsonian Director Kim Sajet. On June 14, 2025, Kim Sajet resigned from her role as Director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Ongoing Legal Questions
Despite the leadership change, legal questions persist. In court, the Smithsonian has argued that it is the "government through and through," while public statements from Secretary Lonnie Bunch have described the Institution as "independent."

Raven has filed a third emergency petition to the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the Smithsonian's legal entity status & how the First Amendment protections apply to the federally funded Smithsonian.

For more information: www.smithsoninstitution.com