WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts detailing whistleblower allegations that renovations were rushed and federal contracting laws ignored. The letter follows disclosures alleging the work was accelerated to prepare for high-profile events, raising concerns about oversight at the national cultural center in Washington, D.C.

The whistleblower disclosure was submitted to Whitehouse by the Government Accountability Project and includes firsthand accounts from multiple former Kennedy Center project managers, supported by documents and photographs. Whistleblowers alleged the Center rushed renovation and maintenance work to accommodate events including the FIFA Peace Prize ceremony and the World Cup draw. They also claimed management told staff they would “deal with lawsuits later” after setting aside contracting rules to meet deadlines.

Specific allegations include that an $8 million no-bid flooring contract was awarded to a firm with no apparent concert-hall experience, and that the Center rewrote its contracting rules after the fact to justify such no-bid awards. Whistleblowers also alleged the painting of the Center’s steel columns began in August with no written contract in place, and that a contractor cut corners during repainting, causing the columns to rust through fresh paint. Senator Whitehouse estimated that repairs to the columns will cost $1.5 million.

Additional claims describe cosmetic work on the Center’s Reflecting Pool that is now rusting and peeling, potentially requiring a full rebuild, and that a newly installed bathroom floor was torn out because former President Donald Trump did not like the color. Trump, who secured $257 million from Congress for Kennedy Center repairs and restoration the previous year, was later approved as chairman by the Center’s Board of Trustees.

Whitehouse, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, requested documents and answers from the Kennedy Center’s executive director by July 23. In response, the Center issued a statement defending its practices and denying that contracting standards were bypassed. Roma Daravi, a Kennedy Center spokesperson and former White House communications staffer during Trump’s first term, stated that “the institution makes every decision guided by responsible stewardship.”

Representative Rick Larsen, the senior Democrat on the House Infrastructure Committee, said the allegations are “serious and concerning.”

Why It Matters

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, established in 1971 as the national cultural center of the United States, receives federal funding and operates under congressional charter, making adherence to federal contracting laws a matter of public accountability. The allegations raise questions about the use of taxpayer funds and potential procedural violations at an institution entrusted with preserving national cultural infrastructure.