Air America FLAP: Follow the Money

The is quite a FLAP brewing over Air America radio and the diversion of money from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club. Blogger Brian Maloney Owns the story and has the goods here, Scandal Heats Up. Read it all.

So far, in seeking to determine whether Air America benefited from taxpayer money meant for a community youth center, we’ve accomplished two things: sending the blogosphere into action mode and compelling the company to respond to the developing firestorm.

Early Friday morning, I was made aware of a new, second press statement on the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club scandal. A number of emails and blog comments quickly followed, leading me to wonder if there was some kind of organized effort to turn the tables.

Hugh Hewitt has his take, John Campbell for Congress and Air America for Congressional Hearings.

Air America is fingered as looting public funds from kids’ programs. Air America responds by saying the fingerees left a year ago.

But what did Al Franken know, and when did he know it? Is Al returning his salary that was paid at least in part from the basketball funds of a Boys and Girls Club?

A Congressional hearing into this “transfer” of funds would be quite interesting. Perhaps Franken would lunge over the table at his questioners.

Ed Morrissey has more. Space for Commerce urges us “to think of the children.” DiscerningTexan translates the Air America response. Updates as they occur throughout the day.

Heh. Stuart Smalley was getting paid with funds that ought to have gone to seniors with Alzheimer’s.

The Washington Post wrote about all the “unsolicited offers [Janeane] Garofalo has received” after the actress went very public with her opposition to the war. Maybe the Post will go back and categorize the tax dollars diverted from the poor to the on-air rich at AA. Was that an “unsolicited offer” as well? Invite Janeane to the hearings as well.

Michelle Malkin has AIR AMERICA IS SCRAMBLING.

Late last night, I received an e-mail from Air America’s webmaster and former Howard Dean staffer, Adam Mordecai. He wrote “Some answers to your questions” and included a link to/text of a new statement from the beleaguered liberal radio network about the New York City corruption probe of alleged diverted funds from inner-city non-profit clubs to the network.

Radio blogger Brian Maloney, who forced this story into the open along with the community newspaper Bronx News, fisks Air America’s statement here. Read the whole thing.

Macho Nachos has some legal analysis of corporate liability issues raised by Air America’s statements.

And the Washington Times weighs in with an editorial.

Still no coverage of this from the MSM. Big surprise.

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Air America: Don’t blame us
Air America: Stealing from poor kids?!

Captain Ed over at Captain’s Quarters has Air America Rethinks Its Position.

Not that they have much to worry about on that end. No major media outlets have bothered to look into Air America’s role in the misdirection of federal funds at a time when they struggled to stay afloat. The only mention it gets comes from the editorial pages of the Washington Times. The Times keeps its eye on the blogosphere — it has mentioned CQ a number of times — and rightly credits Brian and Michelle for doing what the Exempt Media either couldn’t or wouldn’t do….

I doubt that Franken will ever comment on this story in his role as on-air personality. If he decides to run for office here in Minnesota as rumored, however, we should ask him about this scandal and what he did to correct it once it became known. Voters should shun candidates who manage to demonstrate a callous disregard for spending government money without even being in office.

Interesting how the New York Times nor the Washington Post have picked up this FLAP.

Franken has some explaining to do.

Technorati Tags: Air America, Al Franken, New York City, Janeane Garofalo, theft