Overview
- The Washington National Opera filed suit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Thursday seeking more than $17 million that it says the Kennedy Center has refused to return.
- The opera says the disputed assets include endowment funds, donor gifts, and bequests collected while it was affiliated with the center.
- WNO’s filing cites an email from Kennedy Center chief financial officer Donna Arduin that it says indicated a fund of bequests and donations had been used as collateral for a center line of credit.
- The Kennedy Center called the lawsuit meritless, said it will countersue, and cited an outside accounting firm’s calculation that the opera created a $72 million deficit while affiliated with the center.
- The legal fight follows the opera’s January split after governance changes under President Donald Trump and could affect donor confidence, how restricted gifts are handled, and the opera’s ability to rely on those funds while it mounts performances at other venues.