{"id":2613621,"date":"2026-06-12T15:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T19:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-national-opera-sues-kennedy-center\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T15:40:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T19:40:01","slug":"washington-national-opera-sues-kennedy-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-national-opera-sues-kennedy-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington National Opera sues Kennedy Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwashington-national-opera-sues-kennedy-center%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2613621&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Washington National Opera is accusing the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kennedy-center\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"6434\">Kennedy Center <\/a>of failing to return more than $17 million in donor funds, escalating a dispute that followed the end of a 15-year partnership between the two institutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, the opera company said the money in question came from years of contributions by supporters who specifically intended their gifts to benefit the Washington National Opera and its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/art\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"689\">artistic<\/a> and educational mission. Those donors, the filing argues, entrusted their contributions to support performances, artists, and community programming carried out by the opera over decades.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4606506\/jerry-seinfeld-calls-out-anti-israel-influencer-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jerry Seinfeld calls out anti-Israel influencer, he \u2018doesn\u2019t give any Fs\u2019: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4605880\/kennedy-center-board-appeal-trump-name\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Kennedy Center board to appeal order striking Trump\u2019s name from building<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4605503\/rubio-somber-ufc-world-polarized\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rubio gets somber at UFC event, says world is so polarized there are few things that \u2018bring people together\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe funds held by the Kennedy Center represent years of gifts and contributions made by loyal WNO donors who specifically directed their support to benefit WNO and its mission,\u201d the organization said in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.uscfc.54456\/gov.uscourts.uscfc.54456.1.0.pdf\">court filings<\/a>. \u201cThose donors trusted that their contributions would support WNO\u2019s artists, its performances and the education and community programs that WNO has carried out for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispute centers on a long-standing affiliation agreement under which the Kennedy Center managed donations on behalf of the opera for roughly 15 years, while the two organizations remained legally separate entities. According to the filing, the Kennedy Center handled fundraising, administrative support, and the management of WNO-designated contributions \u201cfor the benefit of WNO,\u201d with those funds always belonging to the opera.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The WNO ended its partnership with the Kennedy Center in January, citing what it described as a financially strained relationship. In the months leading up to the split, the opera alleges, the Kennedy Center stopped performing key obligations under the agreement, including fundraising support, marketing assistance, and timely reporting on the status and growth of WNO-managed funds. Despite repeated requests to address the issues, the opera said the problems were not resolved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHaving exhausted its efforts to amicably resolve this matter, WNO files this lawsuit to seek the return of money that belongs to it and is necessary to fulfill its mission,\u201d the filing stated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kennedy Center officials downplayed the allegations, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5921637-washington-national-opera-lawsuit-kennedy-center-trump\/\">calling<\/a> them \u201cmeritless.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4594577\/which-party-will-recover-first-from-current-self-harm\/\">MICHAEL BARONE: WHICH PARTY WILL RECOVER FIRST FROM ITS CURRENT SELF-HARM?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDespite multiple proposals, WNO failed to engage in good-faith discussions and [WNO Director] Francesca Zambello undermined coordination between the organizations,\u201d The Kennedy Center\u2019s vice president of public relations, Roma Daravi told <em>The Hill.<\/em> \u201cThe Center has acted transparently and in the best interests of the public throughout this process.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The filing comes amid broader turbulence at the Kennedy Center, including President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> attempt to rename the performing-arts center to the Trump-Kennedy Center. In recent weeks, a federal judge ordered that his name must come off the building. The Trump administration appealed the ruling in a last-ditch effort, but another judge struck down the appeal on Friday, with crews beginning to remove Trump\u2019s name from the building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Washington National Opera is accusing the Kennedy Center of failing to return more than $17 million in donor funds, escalating a dispute that followed the end of a 15-year partnership between the two institutions. In a court filing, the opera company said the money in question came from years of contributions by supporters who<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2613622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26149774197726.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2613621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26149774197726.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}