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Fact check: None of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's children works for John F. Kennedy Center

Devon Link   | Paste BN
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The claim: Speaker Nancy Pelosi's daughter works for the Kennedy Center

Social media users are resurrecting an early pandemic falsehood about potential conflicts of interest after Congress voted to grant the Kennedy Center its annual funding in a recent bill. 

“Ok now I get it Pelosis daughter works for Kennedy Center,” claims a Dec. 23 Facebook Post.

The John F. Kennedy Center is a federally funded performing arts center in Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, National Mall and U.S. Capitol.

The Facebook user who posted the claim has yet to respond to Paste BN's request for comment. 

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Pelosi's office and Kennedy Center confirm claim is false

Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, told PolitiFact in April 2020 that none of Pelosi’s children worked for the Kennedy Center. Hammill confirmed with Paste BN on Jan. 5 that this is still the case.

In a March 2020 email to Check Your Fact, Kennedy Center spokesperson Michelle Pendoley wrote that none of Pelosi’s children works for the arts center.

Claim was debunked in early 2020

Several fact checkers debunked this claim between March and April after a measure in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act granted the Kennedy Center $25 million. Some online critics argued against the provision and spread the falsehood. 

Check Your Fact, PolitiFact and Reuters concluded that accusations that one of Pelosi's daughters worked there were false since none of Pelosi’s four daughters were listed on the Kennedy Center's board of trustees.

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As of Jan. 6, none of Pelosi’s daughters were listed on the center's board of trustees or Executive Leadership & Artistic Partners webpages.

Pelosi has four daughters — Nancy Corinne Prowda, Alexandra Pelosi, Christine Pelosi and Jacqueline Pelosi — and one son — Paul Pelosi.

A new stimulus package, which passed in December, included $40 million in funding for the Kennedy Center. 

Kennedy Center Vice President, Public Relations, Eileen Andrews responded to confusion about the funding in a Dec. 23 press release. She wrote that the funds were part of the center's annual appropriations, separate from the COVID relief package. 

"These funds are exactly what the President requested for the Center in his fiscal year 2021 budget submission provided to Congress this past February," it read.

After the CARES Act was passed, Paste BN debunked similar false claims that the Kennedy Center had donated some of those funds to the Democratic Party.

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Politicians serve on board of trustees

Many high-profile politicians are listed on the board of trustees, including Speaker Pelosi herself. 

Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are listed as Members Ex Officio Designated by Act of Congress. The last five first ladies serve as honorary chairs.

Several Trump administration officials are also listed as Members Ex Officio, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

Our ruling: False

We rate the claim that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi' daughter works for the John F. Kennedy Center FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Pelosi's office, the Kennedy Center and its website all confirm none of Pelosi's four daughters work for the performing arts center. 

Our fact-check sources:

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Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

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