It was recently reported that ticket sales for events at the Kennedy Center were down; but not just off a bit, but down over 40%.

Now, the Democrats in the Senate; led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and the Environment and Public Works Committee have accused the current head of the Kennedy Center Richard Grenell of “cronyism and corruption in his management of the institution”.

An investigation is being launched into what is being called “corruption and mismanagement of the center’s $268 million budget, and turning the Kennedy Center into a ‘swamp for cronyism and self-dealing”.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse accuses, “contracts, invoices, and facility use agreements reveal that you (Grenell) operate the Center for the enrichment of your friends and acquaintances, to dole out political favors, and as a playground for the President of the United States and his allies. 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—an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste.”

The office of the EPW has obtained some contract and receipts that show that the Kennedy Center…
~is giving deeply discounted venue rentals to allies
~spent $40,000 on luxury hotel rooms, lavish meals, and entertainment for friends over a period of three months
~providing work contracts to friends that were seemingly unrelated to Kennedy Center business

Specific examples of the mismanagement include…
~FIFA using the entire Kennedy Center for three weeks RENT FREE! – costing the Kennedy Center $5 million
~a $19,820 discount to NewsNation for a town hall
~a $21,982.60 discount to the American Conservative Union Foundation (including a note from the Office of the President for a cost waiver
~a $15,000 per month contract for “policy research and speechwriting” – contract showed no details
~a $10,833.33 per month contract for “social media capture/editing” service to Jeff Halperin (Kari Lake’s husband)

The EPW committee has requested the Kennedy’s financial records.

In response to the accusations, Grenell called the request “filled with partisan attacks and false accusations.”

He claims…
~”for the first time in decades, we have a balanced budget at the Kennedy Center” 
~FIFA provided “several million dollars in donations to the Kennedy Center in exchange for the venue use”
~that the new contracts were for work done for the organization
~that the food and hotel spendings were for fundraising and new staff hires—and were much less than in previous years. 

Grenell also claims that in previous years a Kennedy Center board meeting cost $120,000, but that they now are much cheaper; in addition the next board meeting is being hosted by one of the board members and will not cost the Center anything.

Grenell also claims that under the previous administration, the Kennedy Center has been “financially mismanaged”.

In a statement issued by a spokesperson from Senator Whitehouse’s office stated, “contrary to what Grenell claims, Senator Whitehouse did not serve on the Kennedy Center board prior to this year, nor has he ever been invited to attend a board meeting. If Grenell is willing to make things up about Senator Whitehouse, one has to believe that most of his other claims about current and past financial dealings at the Kennedy Center are also made up. There is one way to get to the bottom of this: Grenell must release the Center’s records as Senator Whitehouse has requested.”

Grenell claims that there are no financial issues at the Kennedy Center; but ticket sales are down significantly, artists have cancelled performances, and audiences have boycotted the Kennedy Center.

In just a few weeks, the annual Kennedy Center Honors is scheduled to take place.  There has been no information on the event since the five honourees were named back in the summer.