Ex-CEO accuses Grammy Awards of sexual discrimination and rigging nominations

The former CEO of the Grammy Awards accused the organization of gender discrimination in a complaint on Tuesday, alleging that the group was a “boy’s club” that ignored sexual harassment and suppressed rape allegations against its former president. Deborah Dugan, who was ousted as chief executive of the Recording Academy earlier this month, also claimed she was sexually harassed by the academy’s outside lawyer shortly after accepting the position as the company’s first female CEO last year. In addition, the complaint alleges that the Grammy nomination process is rigged and that the academy allows certain music artists to sit on “secret committees” and vote on their own nominations. The complaint was filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Dugan was placed on administrative leave last week, just 10 days before the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. The show honors performers and members of the music industry. The academy has said Dugan’s exit was related to her hostile treatment of a female executive assistant. The former CEO reportedly asked the group for $22 million to “leave quietly,” according to Billboard. The academy did not respond to a request for comment. According to Dugan, the academy failed to tell her that her predecessor, Neil Portnow, had been accused of rape before he parted ways with the organization.

Dugan said she was informed by the academy’s board after she was hired “that a foreign recording artist and member of the Academy had accused Mr. Portnow of raping her following a performance that she gave at Carnegie Hall." She also claimed that the academy’s outside counsel took her to dinner shortly after she was hired, where he allegedly complimented her appearance and tried to kiss her. The attorney called Dugan “baby,” attempted to “woo” her, and suggested that they “spend time together … traveling to [his] many homes,” according to Dugan’s complaint. The complaint also claimed that the Grammy Awards's nominating process is rife with conflicts of interest, alleging that select musicians in line for awards have been invited to sit on the “secret committees” that vote on the nomination process.

“The Board uses these committees as an opportunity to push forward artists with whom they have relationships,” said the complaint. “Indeed, it is not unusual for artists who have relationships with Board members and who ranked at the bottom of the initial 20-artist list to end up receiving nominations.” “The Board also manipulates the nominations process to ensure that certain songs or albums are nominated when the producer of the Grammys (Ken Ehrlich) wants a particular song performed during the show,” the complaint continued.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ex-ceo-accuses-grammy-awards-of-sexual-discrimination-and-rigging-nominations

Key Republican will 'likely' vote to call witnesses in Trump impeachment trial

A key Senate Republican said she’ll “likely” vote to call witnesses later in President Trump’s impeachment trial. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said in a statement Tuesday, “It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses” after hearing arguments from the impeachment managers, as well as President Trump’s defense lawyers. Collins told the Washington Examiner she is working with a small group of Republicans on a plan to call witnesses, but it’s unclear whether four GOP lawmakers would back the move. That’s the number needed to provide Democrats with the 51 votes necessary to summon a witness.

Democrats said they want to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton, who was critical of efforts by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to get Ukrainian government officials to pledge to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. Bolton also has information about the decision to block $391 million in security aid intended for Ukraine.

Collins, along with GOP Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have expressed interest in hearing from Bolton. Collins and the rest of the GOP back a resolution postponing consideration until later in the trial, which follows a precedent set during the 1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. “As I said last week, while I need to hear the case argued and the questions answered, I anticipate that I would conclude that having additional information would be helpful,” Collins said Tuesday. “It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses at that point in the trial, just as I did in 1999.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/key-republican-likely-to-vote-to-call-witnesses-in-trump-impeachment-trial

Hillary Clinton defends 'authentic, unvarnished views' but says she will support Democratic nominee

Hillary Clinton said she would support Bernie Sanders if he received the Democratic nomination after blasting him in an interview. Clinton appeared to backtrack after she wouldn’t tell the Hollywood Reporter if she would support Sanders should he win the nomination. The former secretary of state was being interviewed about an upcoming documentary about her.

“I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!” Clinton said on Tuesday. “But to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee,” she added.

In the four-part documentary series set to air in March, Clinton contends that “nobody likes” Sanders. "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him. Nobody wants to work with him. He got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it,” she said. Clinton, 72, is a political rival of Sanders who faced a tough challenge from the Vermont senator during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. She has accused Sanders of damaging her politically by delaying his endorsement of her during the last election.

“It's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online 'Bernie bros' and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that, because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture — not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it," Clinton said. A RealClearPolitics national average of polls has Sanders behind Joe Biden with 20.4% support to Biden’s 28.4% support.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/hillary-clinton-defends-authentic-unvarnished-views-but-says-she-will-support-democratic-nominee

>>7870217

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>>7870276

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>>7870289