
At the
Mountain Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado last month a panel discussion convened to talk about the allegations raised in a recent
60-Minutes expose on
Greg Mortenson’s
Central Asia Institute. Made famous in his bestselling book “
Three Cups of Tea” the non-governmental organization that builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan is at the heart of controversies that range from a fraudulent misrepresentation of facts in the story to the misappropriation of funds raised from the piggybanks of third-graders.
“He was very much one of my heroes,” said festival executive director Peter Kenworthy, “But if you tell someone it’s a true story it better be true…especially if you use that story to fundraise.”
In a piece for the new blog site
ByLiner.com, mountaineer and journalist
Jon Krakauer accuses Mortenson of fabricating his origin myth to line his own pockets. Called “
Three Cups of Deceit,” the article details Mortenson’s mismanagement of CAI funds and suggests that he ran the organization like megalomaniacal dictator. Many in attendance at Mountain Film had read Mortenson’s book and supported his efforts overseas. And those who packed a small meeting room at the festival demanded answers.
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