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Kennedy Center Halts Repairs Amid $9.3M Misuse Allegations

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 11:03 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Matt Floca Halts Repairs

Executive director Matt Floca halted roof-leak repairs in April despite a $9.3 million allocation.
Whistleblower attorney David Seide said Floca cancelled a $295,000 design contract for roof overhangs.
Whistleblowers allege $1.4 million earmarked for waterproofing was re-assigned to a $4.4 million column-repainting job.
President Donald Trump and the board cited a September 4 ceiling plaster fall, keeping the main building closed until September 30.

Summary

Maria Shriver Criticizes

Demonstrators formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center on Sept. 16, demanding “Hands Off the Arts.”
Maria Shriver, Kennedy Center’s niece, publicly denounced President Donald Trump’s agenda as “small-minded” and “narcissistic.”
Senators Jeff Merkley and Lisa Murkowski plan bipartisan legislation to bar demolition of presidential memorials.
Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered the center to give at least 30 days notice before any demolition or major physical changes.

History

Historical Context

After Senator Al D’Amato joined 1989 criticism of Andres Serrano’s “Piss Christ,” Congress reduced NEA funding by $99.5 million in 1996, ending dozens of projects. The reduction followed Reagan’s 1980s budget cuts and the 1994 Gingrich drive to curtail the agency. Today, a Trump-appointed board’s $4.4 million reallocation for Kennedy Center roof work echoes those historic funding battles.

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Matt Floca Halts Repairs

Executive director Matt Floca halted roof-leak repairs in April despite a $9.3 million allocation.
Whistleblower attorney David Seide said Floca cancelled a $295,000 design contract for roof overhangs.
Whistleblowers allege $1.4 million earmarked for waterproofing was re-assigned to a $4.4 million column-repainting job.
President Donald Trump and the board cited a September 4 ceiling plaster fall, keeping the main building closed until September 30.

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