On January 23, 2018 the Catholic League held a news conference at the National Press Club claiming that the National Endowment for the Arts had funded a production of Jerry Springer: The Opera presented by the New Group in New York City. This claim is false. No NEA funds were awarded to support the New Group’s presentation of Jerry Springer: The Opera. All of the NEA’s grants to organizations are awarded for specific projects, funds can only be spent on those projects, and regular reporting by grantees on use of NEA funds is required. In 2017, the NEA awarded a $20,000 grant to the New Group for its production of The Whirligig by Hamish Linklater.