Administration, NEA Back Away from Controversial Conference Call

A day after the conservative Web site Big Hollywood posted audio and a transcript of a conference call that seemed to show the National Endowment for the Arts requesting that artists use their work to support President Obama's agenda, the administration and the NEA are distancing themselves from the call.

"We regret any comments on the call that may have been misunderstood or troubled other participants," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "We are fully committed to the NEA's historic mission, and we will take all steps necessary to ensure that there is no further cause for questions or concerns about that commitment."

The conference call was organized by Michael Skolnick, the political director for hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Buffy Wicks, the deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Yosi Sergant, then-director of communications for the NEA, also participated. With a group of about two dozen artists, the three discussed White House requests to bring independent artists together and encouraged them to pick an area where they could encourage volunteerism. "Whether it's health care, education, the environment, you know, there's four key areas that the corporation has identified as the areas of service," Sergant said on the call.

In a statement released Tuesday, the NEA said Sergant had been "relieved of his duties," and insisted that the call was not under the organization's supervision. "The former NEA Director of Communications acted unilaterally and without the approval or authorization of then-Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false. Rather, the call was to inform members of the arts community of an opportunity to become involved in volunteerism."

Administration Backs Off NEA Call [Politico]