Former project managers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have raised concerns about the center’s contracting practices during recent renovations, submitting internal documents to congressional committees that they say reveal a pattern of bypassing standard government procurement rules. The allegations assert that several contracts awarded under the Trump administration avoided competitive bidding processes, citing questionable justifications.

The whistle-blowers, whose identities remain confidential, were represented by lawyers who forwarded an 82-page package last month to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a corresponding House committee. The submissions contend that sole-source contracts were granted under rationales critics describe as flawed, including claims that particular vendors were uniquely qualified when others may have been available. One example cited concerns a South Carolina flooring company chosen without open competition, described internally as the only firm on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard operating a fully vertically integrated business model crucial for the project’s acoustic and architectural needs.

The letter accompanying the documents states the center’s decisions to waive competitive bidding were motivated in part by a drive to meet renovation deadlines linked to President Trump’s interest in hosting official events at the venue, asserting that “federal contracting laws and regulations were ignored.” Another example detailed routine design changes, such as replacing beige tiles with white in a presidential box bathroom following a directive from the White House shortly after Trump assumed chairmanship of the Kennedy Center’s board.

In response, the Kennedy Center defended its procurement practices, emphasizing rigorous financial oversight and asserting that the breaches alleged by the whistle-blowers are unfounded. A spokeswoman, Roma Daravi, said the institution had engaged with the Office of Management and Budget to confirm that as an independent entity, it is not subject to federal contracting regulations and has revised its policies to maintain fairness while enabling operational agility for the extensive renovation effort. The center called its decisions “guided by responsible stewardship” and committed to transparency in preserving the institution.

The controversy also involves a contract related to painting the center’s exterior gold columns, which sources say was initially executed without a formal agreement. The painting work was ultimately subcontracted through an arrangement involving Washington Office Interiors, a certified small business, and Cypress Painting Systems, a Maryland-based company with longstanding federal contracts. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who received the submission and serves as an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, has requested further information from the institution, stating the allegations “raise serious questions” about the use of public funds.

Separately, issues with the planned two-year closure for renovations were briefly halted by a federal judge, who determined the center’s board had not sufficiently reviewed the president’s shutdown proposal. The White House pushed back on this intervention, accusing the judge of enabling prolonged disrepair at the center.

Industry procurement experts have noted that the Kennedy Center’s updated policy, enacted in November, relaxes competitive bidding requirements compared with federal guidelines by expanding conditions under which sole-source contracts may be awarded, citing unique circumstances or compelling business interests. This shift from tradition is notable given the Kennedy Center’s status as a federal property, historically adhering to federal contracting protocols similar to Smithsonian museums.

Overall, the disclosures and ensuing inquiries highlight ongoing scrutiny of contracting procedures employed in federally affiliated cultural institutions amid major renovation projects, reflecting tensions between operational expediency, compliance with procurement standards, and the stewardship of public resources.