Trump rushed Kennedy Center renovations for Fifa peace prize ceremony, whistleblowers say

Letter from Democratic senator outlines more no-bid contracts and second botched reflecting pool redo

The US senator Sheldon Whitehouse has sent a letter to the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts detailing allegations from whistleblowers that some renovations were rushed" and federal contracting laws were ignored" to get the center ready for events, including for Donald Trump to receive the Fifa peace prize" during the World Cup draw he hosted there in December.

I have received allegations that the Kennedy Center has conducted rushed renovation and maintenance work with disregard to its commitments to Congress and the federal contracting standards the Center has long applied to its own procurements," the Rhode Island Democrat wrote in the letter dated Thursday.