Ousted Grammy Chief Talks Corruption Claims on’Good Morning America’ (View )
Small applicable new information premiered in ousted Grammy CEO Deborah Dugan’s appearance on ABC’s”Good Morning America” Thursday. The executive, who had been put on administrative leave Thursday following the company made a strongly worded but vague claim of”misconduct” against her former helper (who was also the helper of her predecessor, Neil Portnow), appeared on the show to explore her claims of corruption at the Grammy voting procedure and sexual harassment contrary to the Academy.
Hunting live on ABC and accompanied by her lawyer Doug Wigdor, Dugan was obviously nervous and was disrupted regularly by series host George Stephanopoulos.
She started by stating that”There are unquestionably amazing, amazing people who work there at the recording academy and on the Board,” before outlining her allegation of sexual harassment from the Academy general counselor Joel Katz, which she claims happened in a dinner May after she had been confirmed as the company’s new president and CEO.
“In the onset, under the guise of a job dinner I had been propositioned from the general counsel, a entertainment attorney of tremendous power in the business.”
Stephanopoulos interrupts to be aware that Katz”categorically denies those allegations and states you have the supper entirely incorrect,” however she proceeds with her accounts, finishing,”I felt as though I was being tested by how much could I acquiesce, and I understood that was a power setting proceed only on the beginning as I was coming to the committee”
COPYRIGHT_BP: Published on https://bingepost.com/ousted-grammy-chief-talks-corruption-claims-on-good-morning-america-watch/10132/ by Cecilia Jones on 2020-01-23T13:58:31.000Z
Stephanopoulos notes that Dugan wrote in her memo to the Academy’s HR section, leveling numerous accusations, so that “’I am writing this not for one to take any actions at this moment.’ Why not want them to do it?”
“I really wanted to make change from within,” she replied. “I think what the Recording Academy must endure — for artists — and that I had been trying at every step to take a deep breath and say,’Alright, I could really make a difference. I am able to resolve this. I am able to work with this group. ”’
Stephanopoulos then moves to her claims of corruption at the Grammy voting procedure, especially the nominations, that can be determined by key committees of industry specialists and executives. “When we are seeing the Grammys this Sunday, if we are thinking,’The fix is in, this can be rigged? ”’
“I am saying that the machine ought to be transparent,” she states,”and there are episodes of conflict of interest that taints the results. I could not say more positive things about each the nominations and everyone that performs.
“Oh, my god, I hate that I am in this circumstance, since I would much rather be talking about the artists and the songs,” she continues,”but I must say that there are conflicts of interest that proceed.”
Stephanopoulos then asks that the group to identify the artist that they claim in the complaint is represented with a Board member, who had rated 18th from two th about the shortlist to its 2019 Best Song group however obtained a nomination, while Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande were refused.
They dropped. “For the artist solitude and for the ethics of those artists that will perform and receive nominations this season, I really don’t wish to state ” Dugan responds. “But it is not even just that one room. I have proof that in a different area, needless to say, there were complaints made in the jazz group.”
Stephanopoulos interrupts to inquire whether she’s evidence; Dugan talks of”a claim which I filed”
“That is quite severe,” he states.
“Yes. It is quite serious and I would not be here when I did not believe I could really make a difference”
The short interview finishes when Stephanopoulos says,”You adore the artists as well as the Grammys. Are you going to see Sunday?”
“I’m, she responded. “You understand, I’m. I worked quite difficult on the series. And I really like the artists that are likely to be doing and the ones that are ”
“We can all watch in good conscience too?”
“YesI believe so.”
Along with that, the interview concludes.
Dugan’s complaint alleges that her predecessor, Neil Portnow, raped a female performer (and Academy executives were conscious ), a claim that he has denied; that Joel Katz, a prominent lawyer who was a part of the Academy’s inner circle for years, tried to”woo” and kiss her after a dinner, a claim that he has denied;”egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members and voting irregularities related to nominations for Grammy Awards”; and that her mails were being tracked and shared with all Academy executives with her helper, Claudine Little, that had been formerly Portnow’s helper; and unnecessary or exorbitant legal statements to outside lawyers, conflicts of interest and more (the organization’s tax records reveal that it paid almost $15 million into 2 external law firms past five years).
The Grammy Awards air live on CBS Sunday evening at 8 pm ET/5 p.m. PT.
