Democrat announces whistleblower allegations of construction problems at Kennedy Center
A Democratic senator claimed Saturday that whistleblowers detailed several problems resulting from a rushed or improper rebuilding of the Kennedy Center, adding a new layer to the travails of the arts complex where President Donald Trump is trying to gain control of the center and its name.
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said Saturday that he received a tip from the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower protection group, alleging that “the Center was expediting a series of renovations due to the President’s aesthetic whims and desire to star in a series of televised events in December.”
“The Center’s acquiescence to the President’s desires and delicate contracting practices resulted in steel columns rusting due to new paint, a reflecting pool that would need to be ripped out and rebuilt, and a brand new bathroom floor torn up due to an offensive tile color,” Whitehouse continued. “This is wasteful and treats President Kennedy’s national monument as if it were a private renovation project.”
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At the beginning of his second term, Trump took control of the arts and culture venue named after former President John F. Kennedy. Embers ousted previous leadership of the center and replaced him with a Board of Trustees who appointed him president and added his name to the building.
Democrats sued to have it removed, and a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name should be removed from the venue, which was devastated by artist boycotts during the unrest. he tried close the center for two yearsIt was only decided by the court to keep it open because Only Congress could change the name.
Whitehouse released a letter to the center’s executive director, Matt Floca, demanding a response by July 23. He said the whistleblower report contained “firsthand accounts from multiple former Center project managers, supported by contemporaneous documents and photographs.” He also included an 83-page appendix filled with internal headquarters documents, emails and seemingly shoddy construction photos.
Among the allegations is that the center accelerated the work before it was approved by Congress because it wanted Trump’s acceptance of the new FIFA Peace Prize given to him by the football federation to be completed. The letter alleges that the center did not follow required contract rules and spent money to replace the bathroom because the president did not like the color and inking of the no-bid contracts. Whitehouse claimed that the $8 million contract to replace the concert hall’s floor went to a company that had no experience in concert halls.
