Whitehouse Widens Investigation into Financial Mismanagement and Maintenance Failures at Kennedy Center Under Trump-Appointed Leadership
Internal Kennedy Center documents obtained by EPW Committee show dwindling cash reserves, a fully drawn line of credit, and capital repairs put on hold
New whistleblower disclosure through Government Accountability Project alleges Center leadership cancelled roof repairs and spent waterproofing funds on painting columns
Washington, D.C. – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, sent a letter to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts expanding his investigation into the Trump-appointed leadership’s gross financial and operational mismanagement and seeking information about whistleblower information demonstrating that Center leadership halted necessary maintenance projects.
Internal Kennedy Center documents provided to the Senate EPW Committee confirm earlier public reporting by the Washington Post that the Center is on track to miss its fiscal year 2026 revenue target by nearly $100 million, and that the Center’s revenue and fundraising collapsed after the Board put President Trump’s name on the building, a decision later ruled illegal by a federal court.
Other whistleblowers have separately made a disclosure through the Government Accountability Project (GAP) demonstrating that Center leadership left funds for maintenance projects unspent and shifted funds from planned and necessary repairs to pay for President Trump’s vanity projects. A previous investigation by Ranking Member Whitehouse found that, instead of pursuing renovations tailored to the building’s actual needs, the Center rushed a series of renovations driven by the President’s aesthetic whims ahead of a series of televised events at the Center in December.
“My initial investigation into misconduct at the Center focused on cronyism and corruption, with documents demonstrating considerable excessive and self-serving spending under President Trump’s chairmanship. The documents that I attach today seem to reveal deeper financial mismanagement. Your failure to respond to my previous requests for financial documents, and the unexplained sudden departure of the CFO, suggest that something is seriously wrong at the Center,” wrote Whitehouse.
The Ranking Member requested documents and answers to a series of questions from Executive Director Floca by October 8, and reiterated his demand for substantive responses to questions and document requests raised in previous investigation letters. In late August, Whitehouse sent a letter to Floca renewing previous requests for financial information necessary for Board members to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities—information that is still being withheld despite Whitehouse’s numerous requests for documents.
Anyone with information relevant to Ranking Member Whitehouse’s inquiries may contact the Senate EPW Committee Democratic whistleblower tip line. Whistleblowers play a critical role in helping Congress root out fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. Your right to share information is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and applicable laws. U.S. law also prohibits retaliation for providing information to Congress. The Senate EPW Committee will ensure that your identity is kept confidential.
The text of the Ranking Member’s letter is available here. A PDF of the appendix containing the whistleblower declaration and supporting documents is available here.
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