Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), sponsor of a bill to defund CPB, has asked the Government Accountability Office to audit CPB and NPR funding. Two Texas congressman sent a similar letter to the independent investigative agency on Nov. 18, singling out NPR.
In a Tuesday (Dec. 7) press release, Lamborn said that “it is imperative that an accurate and complete snapshot of CPB’s use of taxpayer funding be available to lawmakers and the public. Unfortunately,” he said, “the charts, figures, statistics and documents posted on these entities’ websites — and often cited in the news media — do not sufficiently account for the complicated revenue streams between and within these entities. Efforts by Congressional staff, including the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), to contact CPB and NPR for clarification in this regard have been frustrating and limited in success.”
NPR’s Anna Christopher told Current: “This is a surprising claim, as NPR quickly and respectfully responded to each and every CRS inquiry. CRS repeatedly expressed gratitude to NPR for providing all requested information, and for adding clarity and context.”
And Nicole Mezlo, CPB spokesperson, said that corporation staff members have spoken with the Congressional Research Service “numerous times,” and CPB has not been contacted directly by Lamborn’s office.