Former Kennedy Center leader condemns Trump Team’s “Malicious Attack”
Ric Grenell spoke briefly about what he called a “fraud,” in the previous handling of the finances at the Kennedy Center.
The person who replaced Grenell, Deborah Rutter today called out a “malicious effort to distort facts” about Grenell’s tenure.
Rutter stated in a press release that he stood by his assertion that the Kennedy Center at the time he left was financially sound, on track to balance its budget and well-positioned to increase its endowment.
Trump sacked all board members appointed by Joe Biden just weeks after assuming the presidency. Rutter was fired by the Trump-controlled board, and Trump replaced David Rubenstein, the chairman. Grenell, an adviser for many years, was appointed the new president.
Grenell, who was at the White House Dinner on Monday with Steve Wynn, Lee Greenwood, and others, said that Trump is “saving the Kennedy Center” while calling deferred maintenance of the complex as “criminal.”
Grenell stated that Donna Arduin the new CFO at the Kennedy Center went through budgets for 2024 and 25 and found “phantom revenues” of $26 million.
Grenell added that the matter would be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Grenell said that Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, is a board member and she “heard all the details.” It is unacceptable for America to have fake revenues of $26million — fraud against previous donors.
Rutter, the former director of the center, stated that she was in charge for a decade and during that time they had “adopted a budget for the fiscal year to come, which the board approved.” This budget was a guide for all of our operations and programming. It is a standard and responsible approach to arts management. The Finance, Audit, and Executive Committees of the Board, which are made up of Trump appointees, had full transparency in all financial transactions and decision-making. In order to fulfill the board’s fiduciary responsibility, financial statements and audit reports were presented at each board meeting.
She said they had also established a reserve to cover any potential shortfalls and that approximately $10 million were available when she left the company in February.
She said that she had not been able to access the current financial situation since her departure, “nor how changes in management and donor and patron behaviors are impacting this year’s operating budget.”
Hamilton’s producers, who were to perform in 2026, canceled their shows after Trump took over the Kennedy Center.
Rutter stated that “Perhaps the current management is facing significant financial gaps, and they are trying to attribute them back to previous management, including the Board of Trustees. Some of these individuals were appointed by Trump in his prior term.”
She also invoked the legal standard that is used by public figures to make defamation complaints. This malicious attempt to distort facts that were readily, consistently and transparently available in professionally audited reports is a reckless disregard for the truth.
Trump visited the Kennedy Center earlier in March, and he called for upgrades to the facilities. Trump also criticised a recent expansion to the complex. While House Republicans are attempting to pass a reconciliation bill that is massive, the White House has reportedly requested $257 million for renovations at the Kennedy Center. Trump has also sought to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and other major cultural and arts agencies.
Rubenstein stated in a statement released to The Washington Post that the financial reports had been reviewed and approved “with full transparency” by the Kennedy Center audit committee, full board, and a major accounting company.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.
Rubenstein estimates that the Kennedy Center budget for 2024 will be about $268 millions, with $45 million coming from federal funds to support operations and maintenance.
The Kennedy Center, under the new management of Grenell, announced their upcoming season. The lineup includes Broadway musicals The Outsiders and Moulin Rouge. The Musical. Back to the Future The Musical. Mrs. Doubtfire.
Trump criticized past Kennedy Center programming and on Monday at the White House, he called out “rampant propaganda, DEI, and inappropriate shows.”
Trump stated that “they had dance parties for trans and queer youth” and added that “they had a Marxist anti-police show and lesbian-only Shakespeare.”
People buy tickets.” People buy tickets.”
Grenell stated, “I enjoy being challenged by art.” I like when someone can make me uncomfortable and teach me in a performance. We will not allow inappropriate content to be shown at the Kennedy Center.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Sound of Music, and Legally Blonde: The Musical were all on the Kennedy Center’s season lineup when Rutter and Rubenstein led the institution. Trump will reportedly host a fundraising event for Les Miserables which opens next month.
