Angela Alsobrooks calls Prince George’s Council funding controversies ‘deeply disturbing’

U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks on Friday said recent reports about controversies surrounding the Prince George’s County Council’s grant funding are “deeply disturbing.”

Alsobrooks also echoed calls for an investigation.

“We deserve answers. And I think that, if what has been reported is true, people ought to be held accountable,” she said.

The senator did not name names in her remarks.

Alsobrooks made her comments on “The Politics Hour With Kojo Nnamdi” as part of the WAMU show’s live broadcast from Publick Playhouse in Hyattsville.

Before she was elected to the Senate, Alsobrooks served as Prince George’s County executive. Before that, she was the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County.

Her comments come after County Executive Aisha Braveboy called for an investigation into funding the County Council provided to Community on the Frontline and its Beverly Hills, California-based fiscal sponsor, the Edward Charles Foundation.

As part of that investigation, the county Office of Audits and Investigations has issued subpoenas requesting that county agencies and the council’s grant office protect relevant records.

Two council members, Jolene Ivey and Sydney Harrison, have called for independent audits of two organizations to which their colleagues have steered millions in grant funding.

They’re seeking audits of Community on the Frontline, run by Janna Parker, a close friend of Chair Krystal Oriadha and the godmother of Oriadha’s son, and of Joan’s House, an Oxon Hill-based nonprofit with which council member Edward Burroughs is deeply involved.

Oriadha also appeared on “The Politics Hour” broadcast in Hyattsville.

The hosts didn’t ask Oriadha about Alsobrooks’ comments. But, when they asked about the recent scrutiny, she maintained that the council has followed a transparent process.

She explained that her relationship with Parker stems from their time working together in the nonprofit and advocacy space.

And she spoke repeatedly of “misinformation” clouding the public’s understanding of the situation.

“There’s a want to continue a false narrative,” she said. “There’s paid bots behind it, and paid infrastructure, and a huge MAGA wing that is also pushing it.”

Following the program, Oriadha could not immediately be reached by phone for comment on Alsobrooks’ remarks or for clarification about her own statements.

Braveboy and Oriadha have requested that the Edward Charles Foundation return millions it has received from the council.

The county executive’s office announced Thursday that the foundation had returned $7.6 million and that it is expecting the foundation to send back an additional $5.2 million.