New video released Thursday afternoon indicates National Public Radio intended to accept a $5 million donation from fictitious Muslim Brotherhood front group Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC) Trust – and that the publicly funded radio network might have helped MEAC make the donation anonymously to protect it from a federal government audit.
When a man posing as Ibrahim Kasaam asked, “It sounded like you were saying NPR would be able to shield us from a government audit, is that correct?” NPR’s senior director of institutional giving, Betsy Liley, responded, “I think that is the case, especially if you are anonymous. I can inquire about that.” According to conservative James O’Keefe, whose Project Veritas organization conducted the NPR sting organization, the man posing as Kasaam made two follow-up phone calls to Liley after their lunch.
Liley said a $5 million donation would amount to about “10 years of support.”
Kasaam follows up by asking: “The fact that NPR is not only a tax-exempt organization, but also receives direct contributions from the government — does that invite some sort of government oversight or government examination of contributions, et cetera?”
Liley answered: “They have audited our programs at times and, I think, as part of that, they can look at our audited financials. If you are concerned in any way about that, that’s one reason you might want to be an anonymous donor. And, we would certainly, if that was your interest, want to shield you from that.”
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Well Done. Post and NPR
ReplyDeleteHas she lost her job yet? I haven't seen any word on her.
ReplyDeletePlease pass the butter. NPR is toast.
ReplyDeleteThe full statement from spokeswoman Dana Davis Rehm:
ReplyDelete"The statement made by Betsy Liley in the audio tapes released today regarding the possibility of making an anonymous gift that would remain invisible to tax authorities is factually inaccurate and not reflective of NPR’s gift practices. All donations – anonymous and named – are fully reported to the IRS. NPR complies with all financial, tax and disclosure regulations.
Through unequivocal words and actions, NPR has renounced and condemned the secretly recorded statements of Ron Schiller and Betsy Liley. Mr. Schiller is no longer with NPR and Ms. Liley has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation of the matter.
No stronger statement of disavowal and disapproval is possible. NPR will not be deterred from its news mission and will ultimately be judged by the millions and millions of listeners and readers who have come to rely on us every day."
All financial, tax and disclosure regs? Would that include the Patriot Act? Wouldn't DHS have some interest in such a donation?
Well, but the recording also mentions a university she used to work for that also accepts money without identifying donors. Isn't that a problem too? I mean, seriously. What's up with all those anonymous millions of dollars.
ReplyDeleteAs previously noted here:
ReplyDeleteNPR = "National Private Radio." (ht a commenter on YouTube)
My guess is that the "administrative leave" (and "investigation") of Betsy Liley will last about as long as the "administrative leave"
of Ron Schilling . . . i.e., just long enough for him to mutually agree with the Board that his resignation originally slated for May 6th should instead take place immediately.
Besides, with her it doesn't appear they have the added complication of the timing associated with another job waiting in the wings.
Tomorrow is Friday, so very late in the evening would put them into the Saturday news cycle -- if they can last that long!
They still haven't even begun to understand that this story really has legs, and that they are NOT going to get it behind them with these baby steps.
Right now, I'd guess they've been lapped at least twice!
The NPR news contributors have now weighed in with a letter voicing their "condemnation" of Ron Schiller's statements (no mention therein of either Betsy or Vivian).
O'Keefe told Sean Hannity that he has video with PBS executives. He gave up the info after Hannity quoted a Mediaite report with statements from PBS.
ReplyDeleteMore damaging press for taxpayer funded media.
Here is link to Mediaite story... http://mediaite.com/a/qcipu
ReplyDeleteGosh ... smoke ... I think the NPR is a little burned.
ReplyDeleteWho does NPR think they are?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
Remember how much attention the "mainstream" media gave that bogus story manufactured by Thunk Progress and its ilk?
Will we see similar extensive "mainstream" media coverage on this story?
I will now not hold my breath. Here goes ...
The poor souls at NPR might not be able to move into that brand spanking, multi-million dollar building they are currently constructing in downtown DC now. Boo-f******-hoo!
ReplyDeleteProfessor,
ReplyDeleteI think the delicious anticipation I feel waiting to see one of your funny post titles on a big story is not unlike what a 14 year-old-girl must have felt in 1964, walking to the record store to buy The Beatles' just-released, latest record.
It's only going to get better! PBS played Candid Camera, too.
ReplyDeleteOh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to take Muslim Brotherhood money!
With apologies to Sir Walter Scott.
Who would have guessed that three separate people involved in the same deal would misspeak on the same day. What are the odds? Naturally, none of them meant any of the things they said. They were just trying to close a deal.
ReplyDelete*******************
No point firing anymore people now. What could they possibly say at the firing? Another bad apple who doesn't represent the values and culture of NPR? Hardy-har-har! The only thing left for them to do is to announce that they are all going home to work on their resumes.
I love the smell of a good cat-and-mouse game in the morning. It smells like victory.
ReplyDelete"Mr. O'Keefe added there were more communications with NPR that he planned to release soon, depending on the network's response to the latest materials. 'What they have omitted is the steps they took to work with us,' Mr. O'Keefe said. "