According to a new congressional inquiry, the Kennedy Center was ordered to quietly discard federal procurement standards and issue millions in no-bid contracts just to create a venue corrupt enough to host a FIFA awards ceremony. Whistleblowers allege the administration rushed multiple botched renovations, including a second catastrophic attempt at a reflecting pool, to ensure President Donald Trump could receive the organization's "peace prize" in December.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) detailed the allegations in a letter released Thursday, noting that the White House explicitly instructed the performing arts center to ignore its longstanding commitments to Congress. Administration officials reportedly argued on background that adhering to strict transparency guidelines would violate the spirit of an event where the global governing body of soccer was presenting an unprompted peace trophy to the US president.
The expedited timeline resulted in what sources close to the project described as a procurement free-for-all, heavily featuring unvetted contractors and a second failed attempt to renovate the reflecting pool that left the exterior grounds temporarily inundated. A senior aide confirmed that the hasty architectural work was deemed necessary to achieve the precise aesthetic of an authoritarian sports gala, requiring construction crews to bypass structural safety reviews to install the staging on time.
When you are preparing to host the executive committee of FIFA for an impromptu award ceremony, adhering to rigid federal anti-corruption laws is frankly an insult to the culture of the guests.
The White House has since defended the necessity of the no-bid contracts in a statement to the committee, with a spokesperson clarifying that the reflecting pool was only flooded to symbolically wash away the center's previous commitments to congressional oversight.