Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known structural issues, former employees allege

A letter signed by a lawyer representing anonymous whistleblowers alleges that Kennedy Center officials were aware of serious structural issues with the performing arts venue before their abrupt decision to close it this month. The issues cited by the whistleblowers include roofing problems that the center's executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, did not prioritize despite receiving funding to address them, according to the letter.

Floca denies the allegations, stating that recent investigations have revealed new hazards at the building. Floca joined the Kennedy Center in 2024 as vice president of facilities and had requested funds to remediate the issues more than a year earlier, which were approved by Congress in the summer of 2025. The letter, reported by The New York Times, is part of a series of tensions surrounding the iconic building located on the Potomac River waterfront.

President Donald Trump has been involved in the center's governance, removing his name from the building and installing his own leadership on the governing board after a judge ruled that the new lettering was illegally added. The center has been ordered to give 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes, including demolition, by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper.

The Kennedy Center leadership must also file a status report on the temporary closure and emergency repairs by Friday. The center's executive director stated that the safety of patrons, artists, and staff is their top priority and denied allegations that they halted remediation plans in April. White House Senate Democratic leader Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the center's leadership for allegedly hoarding congressional-appropriated funds for repairs while blaming previous leadership for the state of the repairs.