09/23/2009
Contact:
Liz Bartolomeo
press@artsusa.org
202.371.2830
Statement in Response to Inaccuracies Published by Bighollywood.breitbart.com
To: Andrew Breitbart, bighollywood.breitbart.com
Patrick Courrielche, bighollywood.breitbart.com
Ben Shapiro, bighollywood.breitbart.com
John Nolte, bighollywood.breitbart.com
Mike Flynn, bighollywood.breitbart.com
Kerry Picket, The Washington Times
David Mastio, The Washington Times
George Will, The Washington Post
Sean Hannity, Fox News
John Finley, Fox News
David Freddoso, Washington Examiner
From: Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts
Immediate corrections about Americans for the Arts need to be made to stories that you have published in various newspapers, blogs, television, and radio programs.
Americans for the Arts was not a participant on an August 10, 2009, conference call involving the National Endowment for the Arts. Moreover, not one of the 21 groups who signed a health care and the arts statement was on the August 10, 2009, conference call. There is absolutely no connection between these two events. On September 13, 2009, Americans for the Arts immediately informed The Washington Times, who originally published this error, of its mistake. Americans for the Arts also submitted the statement via an online contact form at bighollywood.breitbart.com.
The Washington Times later published an unconfirmed invitation list to the August 10 conference call, speculating that actress Kerry Washington had participated on the call. The affiliation next to Ms. Washington’s name is incorrect. Ms. Washington is not, nor has ever been, a board member of Americans for the Arts. Ms. Washington is a member of the Americans for the Arts Artists Committee. Artists Committee members are occasionally invited by Americans for the Arts to speak at specific Americans for the Arts events. Ms. Washington was never asked to speak on behalf of or represent Americans for the Arts for an August 10 conference call with the National Endowment for the Arts. In fact, Americans for the Arts had never heard of the August 10 conference call until news reports in early September. On September 15, 2009, Americans for the Arts informed The Washington Times of this error as well.
I ask that you immediately correct these false claims accordingly. They are harmful to our reputation, and for some recipients on this list, this is not the first time we alerted you to this material error. Should you wish to talk about this further, you can reach me at 202-371-2830 or via e-mail at rlynch@artsusa.org.
