LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) Former MusiCares VP Dana Tomarken has accused chairman/president Neil Portnow of choosing to steer money away from the charity in order to fund a deficit for this year’s Grammy broadcast – but the accusation includes a concern that continues the issues between AEG and the MSG/OVG contingency.
In a Variety exclusive, Tomarken wrote in a letter to the Recording Academy Board of Trustees, which is holding its annual meeting this week, that Portnow steered money toward the Grammys and brokered a deal to hold the organization’s annual Person of the Year event at a venue that left the charity with a significant loss for this year’s fundraising efforts. That resulted in a projected $1 million gain this year versus $5 million last year.