Interior secretary dismisses calls to name donors for 250th anniversary concert series

The interior secretary said on Sunday that some musicians "seem to have segmented their audiences" after artists withdrew from a concert series planned for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, the secretary dismissed calls to identify donors for the event and maintained that it remained nonpartisan.

Artist withdrawals At least seven of nine scheduled performers cancelled, citing concerns that the Washington, D.C., event would carry a political tone. The artists included the Commodores, C+C Music Factory, Martina McBride and Milli Vanilli. The secretary said the administration had not decided whether to cancel the concert series.

Funding and disclosure When asked about donor transparency, the secretary stated that the focus was on celebrating the anniversary rather than disclosing funding sources. The secretary also defended high-profit margins for contractors awarded no-bid contracts to update the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for the event.

The secretary said the administration may appeal a judge's order to remove the president's name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.