Whistleblowers have alleged that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts rushed renovations and cut corners on construction quality, resulting in work that will need to be redone at substantial cost. Former project managers detailed the problems in a report provided to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, who released the disclosure on July 11.
According to the whistleblower allegations, contractors took shortcuts to speed up cosmetic improvements timed to President Donald Trump’s desire to host official events at the center, including a FIFA Peace Prize ceremony held there in December 2025. The rush to meet those deadlines bypassed the center’s standard procurement process and violated federal contracting regulations, the report states.
The alleged quality failures are specific and costly. Contractors used a cheaper, shorter-lasting primer on the center’s exterior columns before repainting them to meet Trump’s aesthetic preferences. Now rust from the steel columns is showing through the fresh paint, requiring an estimated $1.8 million in repainting work. The center’s reflecting pool, which was resanded and repainted, is rusting and the paint is peeling, necessitating a complete redo. The center also installed a new concert hall floor without considering the room’s acoustic requirements, and replaced newly installed beige bathroom tile with a different color after White House staff objected to the original choice.
Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director, was promoted from his role as facilities director in March 2026 under Trump’s leadership. In his previous position, Floca had prepared a report finding that structural work needed at the center was substantial enough to warrant a two-year closure. The whistleblower allegations suggest that instead of pursuing the structural renovations Congress had appropriated $257 million to address, the center redirected funds toward cosmetic fixes driven by Trump’s preferences.
Whitehouse directed Floca to provide the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee with a detailed accounting of how the appropriated funds were spent—specifically how much went to life-safety, accessibility, and structural work versus cosmetic improvements. He also demanded an explanation for the center’s decision to remove itself from Federal Acquisition Regulation standards. The senator gave Floca until July 23 to respond. The Kennedy Center did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Sources
- Facilities Dive — detailed reporting on whistleblower allegations, specific construction failures, and the $1.8 million column repainting cost
- PBS News — Sen. Whitehouse’s announcement of the whistleblower disclosure and quotes from his letter
