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Former employees allege Kennedy Center officials knew about structural issues and delayed repairs. The center closed indefinitely for emergency work as Congress and a federal judge scrutinize the Trump-aligned board.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts remains closed indefinitely for emergency repairs after a partial ceiling collapse and inspection of a deteriorating roof terrace canopy.
The closure came hours after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked plans to return President Donald Trump's name to the building. A group of former employees alleges in a letter to Congress that center officials long knew about serious structural issues they later cited as new problems.
Repair Allegations and Funding
The letter, signed by lawyer David Seide and first reported by The New York Times, claims executive director and chief operating officer Matt Floca did not prioritize roofing issues and halted a funded repair plan in April. Floca denied the allegations. He said recent investigations of the leaks exposed new hazards. In a September court declaration, Floca noted there were acute risks to public safety when the aging building temporarily closed after the inspection and partial ceiling collapse.
The former employees claim Floca knew of those acute issues earlier. Floca joined the Kennedy Center as vice president of facilities in 2024. Seide wrote that more than one year ago, Floca requested and received funds to remediate the problems he now references. Seide cited President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill signed in summer 2025.
Congress earmarked $257 million for the Kennedy Center in that legislation. Seide wrote that six months ago, with funds in hand, Floca stopped the remediation process from moving forward. In a written statement, Floca said safety of patrons, artists and staff is his priority. He wrote that the Kennedy Center has known for years that the roof overhang leaked, but did not know until this summer how far the damage had spread inside.
Repair Plans and Political Controversy
Floca said he did not halt design plans in April as alleged. He said he reassigned the work to a more comprehensive plan because the contractor's quote for the initial plans was nearly three times the expected cost. He called it a change in procurement and delivery, not a determination that the work was unnecessary. The letter is the latest tension over the iconic Potomac River waterfront building.
Trump has focused on remaking Washington in his second term. He installed his own leadership on the center's governing board and had his name placed on the building. A judge ruled the new lettering was illegally added and ordered it removed. The Trump-aligned board voted earlier this month to close the center indefinitely for repairs hours after Judge Cooper blocked plans to return Trump's name to the building.
Cooper has told the center it must give 30 days' notice before any major physical changes, including demolition, which Trump has threatened. Kennedy Center leadership must file a status report no later than Friday on the temporary closure and emergency repairs. Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, wrote Floca on Thursday after receiving the whistleblower letter.
Senate Inquiry Finds Financial Mismanagement
Whitehouse said documents showed Kennedy Center leadership had hoarded congressionally appropriated funding for repairs while blaming previous leadership for the state of repairs. Whitehouse said his initial investigation into misconduct at the center focused on cronyism and corruption, with documents showing considerable excessive and self-serving spending under Trump's chairmanship. He said the documents he attached today seem to reveal deeper financial mismanagement. A spokesperson for the committee's Republican majority did not immediately reply to a request for comment Saturday.
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CTVNews:Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known structural issues, former employees allegeThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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