Whistleblowers allege Kennedy Center officials halted planned repairs this year, then cited the same building problems to justify closing the famous arts venue.

In a letter to Congress on Thursday, a lawyer for the anonymous former employees wrote that the center’s executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, had known about roof leak issues “for years.” The letter says Floca stopped a funded repair plan in April, even though Congress had provided $9.3 million for roofing replacement last year.

The funds came through President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill signed in the summer of 2025, which earmarked $257 million for the center.

This month, the center closed after a section of ceiling plaster fell in the Grand Foyer on September 4. Trump officials called the building unsafe and barred the public from entering.

Floca denied the whistleblowers’ claims, saying recent investigations of the leaks exposed new hazards. The Kennedy Center said in a statement that “the safety of our patrons, artists, and staff comes first.”

The letter, first reported by The New York Times, adds to tensions where Trump installed his own leadership and briefly had his name on the building before a judge ordered it removed.