Saturday, September 01, 2007
FRIDAY'S INSTALLMENT OF THE CLEVELAND SOAP OPERA
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
The defense attorney for a former church accountant on trial in federal court presented evidence Tuesday that the normal financial system of checks-and-balances didn't exist at the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
During his second day on the witness stand, the Rev. John Wright, former lead lawyer and chief financial officer at the diocese, said he deferred most of the church's money decisions to his right-hand man, Joseph Smith. ...
Smith, 50, jotted notes in the back of the courtroom while Wright testified at the trial of a former diocesan accountant, Anton Zgoznik. ...
...sweetheart deals and secret executive compensation agreements were the routine in the loosely-run diocese, Rotatori said. ...
Evidence was presented Tuesday that:
* Casmir Rutt, a former diocesan chief financial officer, continued to be paid his full salary for three years after his retirement. ...
Uh-huh. Nice little perk, 3 years of post-retirement salary. What does one have to do to be granted such a perk? What does one have to know?
