Saturday, October 29, 2005

Getty Makes It Official! Inmates Running The Asylum!

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-getty30oct30,0,4211559.story?page=2&track=morenews&coll=la-story-footer

Well, the Getty has decided to set-up an 'special' commission to investigate how Barry Munitz has been doing. The 'investigation' will concentrate on how Barry has been spending the Trust's money and how he has been handling the probe of allegedly illegal antiquities purchases by the Getty.

Heading the panel is John - I See No Evil - Bogs who, according to the Times, had read incriminating papers regarding the Getty's activities that other board members were never made aware of until the Times printed them.

Looking into my crystal ball, I foresee... this special committee... will not be investigating that particular alleged incident.

Also on this special commission are... well, read what the Times has to say:

Jason Felch and Robin Fields Times Staff Writer October 30, 2005

After months of mounting troubles, the J. Paul Getty Trust announced Saturday that its board of trustees had formed a special committee to investigate its acquisition of antiquities and its use of tax-exempt funds.

The committee, composed of five board members, will review issues related to an Italian criminal inquiry into allegedly looted antiquities and an investigation by the state attorney general into spending by the trust and its chief executive, Barry Munitz.

John Biggs, chairman of the trust's board and head of the new committee, said through a spokesman that the panel would also "review the institution's corporate governance, including policies and procedures, and then make whatever recommendations — if any — we feel are appropriate for the full board to consider."

And...

In addition to Biggs and Bryson, the committee members will be Lloyd Cotsen, Jay Wintrob and Luis Nogales.

Cotsen, Wintrob and Nogales have links to Munitz.

Cotsen is a philanthropist, archeologist and former chief executive of Neutrogena Corp. Munitz sits on the board of Cotsen's family foundation. Nogales, the former president of Univision, sits with Munitz on the boards of AIG SunAmerica and KB Home. Wintrob is chief executive of AIG SunAmerica.

Sounds fair and balanced to me!