Politics

NPR responds to new O’Keefe video

Matthew Boyle Investigative Reporter
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National Public Radio has released an official statement responding to conservative James O’Keefe’s new video, in which NPR’s senior director of institutional giving Betsy Liley is heard telling a man acting as a member of a fictitious Muslim Brotherhood front group that NPR would take a $5 million donation from his organization and help protect the organization’s identity in the case of a government audit. But, NPR made no mention of its latest gaffe: saying it refused the $5 million donation when, in fact, the new video suggests the organization was open to accepting it.

“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,” NPR said in a statement. “All donations – anonymous and named – are fully reported to the IRS. NPR complies with all financial, tax and disclosure regulations.”

NPR further condemned Ron Schiller, its now former nonprofit foundation president who called the Tea Party movement, “racist, racist people,” and said Jews “obviously” control America’s newspapers in a previously released sting video.

“Through unequivocal words and actions, NPR has renounced and condemned the secretly recorded statements of Ron Schiller and Betsy Liley,” NPR said. “Mr. Schiller is no longer with NPR and Ms. Liley has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation of the matter.”

The statement went on to say that “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,” the publicly-funded radio network said.