Former Kennedy Center employees allege director Matt Floca directed officials to cancel funding for planned roof work in April, months before he cited leaks as one reason for last week’s temporary closure of the main building. The center disputes the claim.
The former employees submitted their allegations to Congress through attorney David Seide on Thursday and provided internal documents, The New York Times reported. The center had secured $9.3 million for roofing work under legislation Trump signed in July 2025; Floca later approved $295,000 to design replacements for the leaking overhangs. Seide wrote that remediation was stopped while funds were available.
The center said the initial project was canceled after a bid came in at triple the estimate, with the roof work added to a broader renovation. A project manager’s June $250 million proposal included $14 million for structural repairs addressing leaks; Floca said summer inspections revealed the damage had spread farther inside the overhangs than officials initially knew. Trump has sought a two-year closure for a $257 million renovation funded by Congress; a federal court has blocked that plan. Last week, Trump said renovation work would not proceed unless a ruling barring his name from the building is overturned.
