Washington — Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island are clashing over the center’s spending and operations records, after Trump allies were appointed to key roles at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, and President Trump was elected chairman of the board.
In a letter to Grenell, Whitehouse said that under Grenell’s stewardship, “The Center is being looted to the tune of millions of dollars in foregone revenue, cancelled programming, unpaid use of its facilities, and wasteful spending on luxury restaurants and hotels.” He called it “an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste.”
Grenell posted a long letter on X that responded to Whitehouse’s accusations, point by point: “.@SenWhitehouse just stepped in it,” Grenell wrote. “He attacked the Kennedy Center with outrageous claims. So we responded with the facts.”
He said that when he arrived at the Kennedy Center, it was “paying a bloated staff with our future debt reserves account,” but “today, and for the first time in decades, we have a balanced budget at the Kennedy Center.”
Grenell also denied the center has “cancelled shows,” but instead said that he has “installed a break-even policy for programming” and rentals. Grenell said that if ticket sales won’t cover a program, it won’t be confirmed unless the cost shortfall is covered by a sponsor or donor.
Whitehouse, citing records his committee staff obtained about the center, accused the former acting director of national intelligence of using the center as a “playground for the president of the United States and his allies” and requested a slew of records from Grenell regarding the Kennedy Center’s financial management.
Whitehouse is the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has oversight responsibility for the Kennedy Center and authorizes its federal funding. Since Democrats are in the minority in the Senate, Whitehouse is only able to request information from Grenell. Only Republicans have subpoena power. It remains to be seen whether Grenell will provide any more information to Whitehouse, beyond his social media post.
He asked for material on the Kennedy Center’s financial management and ethics, a description of the process for selecting contractors and consultants, reimbursement policies, and information about audit protocols.
Rental fee for FIFA?
Whitehouse, in his letter, blasted what he called the “free and exclusive use of the Kennedy Center for FIFA.” The Washington Post previously reported the center in August had waived a rental fee in the range of $5 million for FIFA, which will be using the Kennedy Center from Nov. 24 through Dec. 12 to host its 2026 World Cup draw. The Post noted that it wouldn’t be the first time that a venue waived a rental fee for the draw, but it would be unusual for the Kennedy Center, since it usually has a crowded schedule at that time of year.
Grenell said that FIFA “has given us several million dollars, in addition to paying all of the expenses for this event in lieu of a rental fee.”
Contracts offered “for your personal friends?”
Whitehouse also accused Grenell of offering “contracts for your personal friends,” and asked him for information about expenditures or contracts that have benefited people personally associated with Mr. Trump or with Kennedy Center leadership. He also asked Grenell to provide a justification for each contract.
Grenell mentioned three people in his response, though he did not specifically say that he was responding to this question: Jeff Halperin, who was hired for multimedia work and whose work Grenell praised; a fundraiser named Lisa Dale, credited by Grenell with raising over $117 million; and an editor, researcher and writer who was a colleague of Grenell’s when he was the ambassador to Germany in Mr. Trump’s first administration. Grenell did not name the former colleague, but he said that the cost of his work curating an exhibit was completely covered by a donor.
$10,000 spent on food and beverage for personal use?
Whitehouse also accused Grenell of spending more than $10,000 over several months on “private lunches, dinners and alcohol purchases unrelated to fundraising or development purposes,” including on “champagne service.”
Grenell said that all of the food and beverage costs Whitehouse cited were “for donor-based events.” He said fundraising expenses last year were much higher — $9.3 million.
$27,000 for Watergate Hotel stays for new hires, associates?
Whitehouse also said Grenell charged the center over $27,000 between April and July for “new hires and your associates” at the Watergate Hotel.
Grenell, replied that it’s “customary” for new employees to stay at the Watergate Hotel, which is next door to the Kennedy Center, and he countered that Watergate Hotel expenses for 2024 were much higher, totaling $878,000.
The Kennedy Center receives government funding in addition to private funding. Federal funding goes to operations, security, maintenance and capital repairs. It received over $40 million in federal funds last year.
The Trump administration became involved in the center’s leadership earlier this year, and multiple Trump allies, including Grenell, were appointed to its board by Mr. Trump.
Next month, Mr. Trump will host the Kennedy Center Honors — which recognize performing art professionals for their lifetime achievements — airing on CBS.
