Kennedy Center Violated Government Contracting Norms Under Trump, Whistleblowers Say
Whistleblowers say the center awarded no-bid contracts and rushed cosmetic work to meet Trump-driven deadlines, with $257 million in federal funds at stake.
- Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse released a letter last week alleging the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts mismanaged federally appropriated funds, rushed renovations, and skirted standard contracting procedures to appease President Donald Trump.
- Management rushed renovations to meet deadlines for President Trump's December 2025 FIFA World Peace Prize ceremony, leading to no-bid contracts and ignored federal regulations in his "beautification" mission for the nation's capital.
- Whistleblowers cited an $8 million flooring contract awarded to South Carolina's Low Country Flooring, which they contend lacked concert-hall experience, and approximately $1.5 million in damages from rusted columns after Cypress Painting Systems used improper primer.
- The Kennedy Center denied these claims, asserting it remains "fully committed to transparency," while Whitehouse demanded documentation and responses to 18 points of inquiry by July 23 to aid his investigation.
- These accusations build on investigations into alleged cronyism, landing amid a broader pattern in Trump's second term of oversight bodies stacked with allies and lawsuits challenging speedy construction projects reshaping the capital.
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Kennedy Center repairs were rushed, shoddy, whistleblowers allege
Work on its exterior columns and reflecting pool will need to be redone because of shortcuts contractors took to create cosmetic improvements in time for events featuring President Trump, according to the allegations.
New trouble for Donald Trump. A lot went wrong during the work at the Kennedy Center. Fifa also gets into criticism.
Whistleblowers flag shady deals and questionable work in Trump's Kennedy Center project
Whistleblowers flagged shady deals and questionable work performed by Trump administration contractors during an investigation into the administration's renovation of the Kennedy Center, according to a new report. The Washington Post reported on Monday that Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who sits o...
A Mess!’: Trump’s Kennedy Center Makeover Hit With Shocking Insider Claims Alleging Millions in Damage and Widespread Destruction to Iconic Landmark
President Donald Trump is facing more bad news in his fight to permanently transform another landmark in the nation’s capital. Trump, 80, has spent over a
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