NPR lawsuit alleges Corporation for Public Broadcasting gave in to political pressure

"The chasm is widening between NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit that funneled federal dollars to public media until Congress killed that funding earlier this year. NPR's legal team privately questioned the CPB's longtime chief executive, Patricia Harrison, under oath earlier this month, according to the radio network's legal filings, and is scheduled to do so publicly at a court hearing Tuesday morning."

"In court documents, NPR has presented evidence to bolster its case that the board of the nonprofit corporation first approved a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract for NPR to operate a satellite distribution system for public radio stations. Then, NPR alleges, CPB unlawfully yielded to political pressure by yanking the contract just days after President Trump warned that NPR should receive no more federal dollars."

"The two institutions along with PBS have stood together at the core of public media for more than a half century. They formed a united front, at least publicly, as they lobbied lawmakers against clawing back the $1.1 billion already approved by Congress and signed into law by the president for the broader public media system. Behind the scenes, however, CPB and PBS officials signaled they would not object to pulling funding for NPR, which has drawn the lion's share of Republicans' accusations"

NPR alleges that CPB first approved a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract for NPR to operate a satellite distribution system and then rescinded that contract after President Trump warned that NPR should receive no more federal dollars. NPR's legal team privately questioned CPB chief Patricia Harrison under oath and plans public questioning at a court hearing. CPB contends it awarded the contract to a different group to better serve diverse public radio stations. NPR, CPB, and PBS previously lobbied together over $1.1 billion in federal funding, while behind the scenes CPB and PBS signaled willingness to cut NPR funding amid Republican accusations of liberal bias. A White House budget official expressed an "intense dislike for NPR," and Trump called NPR and PBS "monsters," urging elimination of their federal funds.

Read at www.npr.org