Kennedy Center Whistle-Blowers Allege No-Bid Trump Renovation Contracts Ahead of December Honors
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11
Kennedy Center Whistle-Blowers Allege No-Bid Trump Renovation Contracts Ahead of December Honors
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11
Summary
Internal documents sent to House and Senate committees last month accuse the Kennedy Center of sidestepping normal contracting rules as it prepared major renovations under President Trump.
The whistle-blowers say vendors were picked without competitive bidding, including a South Carolina flooring company described internally as the only qualified Mid-Atlantic option — a claim the former project managers dispute.
Lawyers for the unidentified former managers told Congress another bidding waiver was justified by deadlines tied to presidential events, including the December Kennedy Center Honors that Trump hosted.
Their letter says renovations were rushed to satisfy the president's timetable and that federal contracting laws and regulations were ignored, raising scrutiny as the center readies broader renovation work.