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Dateline: April 16, 2009 ... Waynesboro, PA
Contact: Donald Eminizer
Phone: (717)830-0124
E-Mail: deminizer13@yahoo.com
Web Address: www.litmocracy.com
WAYNESBORO, PA - April 16, 2009 - When Robert Novak wanted to launch a
scholarship at Thomas More college in New England, he was warned by
school board member Joe Monaghan that college President Jeffery O.
Nelson, son-in-law of Russell Kirk, founder of the conservative
movement, hadn't been forthright in the school's fiduciary management.
Nelson's negligent acts, such as taking an unapproved loan and missing
payroll while at the same time hiring relatives, were even reported to
Mike Delucia, Assistant AG for charitable trusts in New Hampshire.
A loan issued by Digital Credit Union is particularly jarring
considering the state of the banking industry. When taken, Nelson was
months overdue on the school's budget. Board member Richard
Heitmiller, since resigned, declared there'd been enough
"stonewalling" and demanded action. When pushed on the reasoning for
the loan that caused 5 members to resign, Nelson issued a statement
directing members to sign a "Consent to Action Without Meeting"
refusing to give justification, even increasing the loan from 0,000
to ,000,000 two months after it had already been issued, using
school assets as collateral.
Hearing this, Novak wrote Nelson, "In our conversation, [Monaghan]
described your management as "dishonest". He informed me that you had
added .5 million to the payroll without funding it, partly to pay
for two of your in-laws hired by the college. Therefore, I must at
least temporarily put in abeyance my commitment for what for me would
be a substantial commitment of 0,000..."
Novak was urged to contact several board members, including a former
Cardinal of NY, Egan, who had resigned months earlier along with the
others.
The school's lawyer, Ovid LaMontagne, the Chair of the Romney for
President National Faith and Values Steering Committee, then sent a
letter to Monaghan stating that, "Mr. Novak has made a verbal
commitment to establish a Youth Leadership Conference scholarship at
Thomas More College."
Monaghan replied, "The letter read as a threat to Novak for making a
'verbal commitment' and the legal reasoning was tenuous. The law
doesn't require that you keep quiet..."
According to an anonymous source close to the college, by the summer
of 2008 the school started missing payroll until Novak finally
relented and donated the 0,000 for the Scholarship. In an email
from Terry Knowles, registrar of non profit trusts for the Attorney
General's Office of NH, to an alumni in Dec 2008, it was noted that
the AG's office had opened an investigation on the matter.
By Fall the school's auditor, O'brien, Riley and Ryan of Westwood,
Massachuesettes refused to certify its audit. Despite taking more
loans, including 0,000 at 16 percent interest, the college again
missed payroll by December, 2008. In an email to Alumni John Kelly,
Nelson stated, "the college is now facing serious financial
difficulties. Paychecks have been delayed indefinitely. The school is
having difficulty paying vendors."
For more information on this topic, please visit our website at:
www.litmocracy.com
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