Washington National Opera sues to force Kennedy Center to turn over $17M in gifts
The opera says the money was donated for its mission and is critical to operations, while Kennedy Center officials call the lawsuit meritless.
- On Thursday, the Washington National Opera filed a lawsuit against the Kennedy Center, seeking over $17 million in withheld endowment funds, donor gifts, and contributions collected for the opera's benefit.
- The WNO left the Kennedy Center in January after an over 15-year partnership, citing a "financially challenging relationship," while Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi claimed the opera "financially burdened" the institution for over a decade.
- According to court filings, the Kennedy Center allegedly used endowment funds as collateral for its own line of credit, while the opera stated it "diligently sought to resolve" the dispute only to meet "indifference."
- Responding to the lawsuit, Daravi called the claims "meritless" and announced plans for a countersuit, stating an external accounting firm calculated the opera "accumulated a $72 million deficit" between 2011 and 2026.
- This legal battle unfolds amid broader institutional chaos at the Kennedy Center, including a separate court challenge over the removal of President Donald Trump's name and his blocked plan to close the venue for two years.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Trump hit with new Kennedy Center humiliation as $17M lawsuit drops — donors want their money back
Donald Trump’s attempt to turn the Kennedy Center into a MAGA trophy just suffered another embarrassing setback. The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit demanding the return of more than $17 million, adding yet another chapter to what has become one of the most chaotic and self-inflicted culture-war disasters of Trump’s presidency. The lawsuit says the Trump-controlled Kennedy Center is refusing to return millions of dollars that donor…
Washington National Opera Sues the Kennedy Center
An operatic breakup has turned litigious in Washington, with the Washington National Opera suing the Kennedy Center for more than $17 million it says it's owed. In a complaint filed in the US Court of Federal Claims, the opera alleges the Kennedy Center has refused to turn over endowment money,...
Washington National Opera Sues Kennedy Center For "Wrongfully Holding" $17 Million In Gifts From Donors
The Washington Post reports: The Washington National Opera on Thursday filed a lawsuit seeking to force the Kennedy Center to turn over $17 million in gifts and donations to the opera company. The Kennedy Center has “wrongfully held” years’ worth of donor gifts, bequests and endowment funds that belong to the opera, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, five months after the two institutions ended a roughly 15-yea…
Washington National Opera Sues Kennedy Center
“The Washington National Opera (WNO) filed a lawsuit Thursday, alleging that the Kennedy Center failed to return more than $17 million in donations made to the organization after its split from the venue earlier this year.” – The Hill
Kennedy Center sued by National Opera over $17M of withheld funds
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is facing another catastrophic financial blow after the Washington National Opera filed a $17 million lawsuit against the troubled institution for refusing to release funds the company claims belong to them.According to New York Times reporting, the suit fi...
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