Senator cites whistleblower report on Kennedy Center renovation problems
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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said a whistleblower disclosure alleges rushed work and contract issues in recent Kennedy Center renovations, prompting a demand for answers from the venue’s leadership.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said a whistleblower disclosure from the Government Accountability Project details a series of problems with recent renovations at the Kennedy Center. The report, he said, alleges that the work was accelerated to meet the president’s schedule for televised events in December, leading to issues such as rusting steel columns, a reflecting pool that may need to be rebuilt, and a bathroom floor replacement caused by a disputed tile color.
Whitehouse sent a letter to the center’s executive director, Matt Floca, requesting a response by July 23 and attached an 83-page appendix containing internal documents, emails and photographs that he said support the allegations. The filing claims the center proceeded with work before congressional authorization, used no-bid contracts, and awarded an $8 million floor-replacement contract to a firm lacking concert-hall experience.
The Kennedy Center has not responded to requests for comment. The venue, named after former President John F. Kennedy, was placed under the control of the current administration earlier this year, a move that prompted legal challenges and a federal judge’s order to remove the president’s name from the institution.