Second Mile Sandusky Scandal: March 2014

Monday, March 31

Tweets of Highlights of Bagwell emails 180-297

Highlights of emails 180-297 include:

#288 - uncertainty of the threat of the death penalty

#279 - Ed Ray stating PSU was never in a "take it or leave it" situation

#258 - the shut down of the "Task Force" two days after Freeh Report was released

#255 - Corbett podium pounding mad over questions about Sandusky investigation

#253 - On July 10, the Freeh Report appears on agenda with little warning (note that the last official notice of a Briefing Call for the Task Force was on 4/4/12)

#204 - Frazier mentions "culture" issue on 5/4/2012

Tweets
Ray Blehar ‏@RayBlehar Mar 30

.@Bagwell4Trustee EM #294&295 10/31/12 Fina emails Paw to give him heads up on Conspiracy of Silence presentment
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Ray Blehar ‏@RayBlehar Mar 30

.@Bagwell4Trustee EM#293 8/13/12 notes that Schultz will have access to all of Freeh's supporting docs, e-mails, interviews, etc.
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Ray Blehar ‏@RayBlehar Mar 30

.@Bagwell4Trustee EM#289 PA Aud Gen Jack Wagner reccos that PSU come under Right-To-Know laws. PSU fighting #transparency
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Ray Blehar ‏@RayBlehar Mar 30

.@Bagwell4Trustee EM#288 on 7/25 BOT says PSU was "likely facing" death penalty. LIKELY? Hmmmm. pic.twitter.com/LouNotoB5Y
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There is much more to see beneath the break

VICTOR B SURMA DIES IN NEW YORK JAN 26, 2014 ------- THE SURMA VENDETTA REVISITED

By Barry Bozeman

Back in September of 2012 we posted two stories that have been two of the most read in the history of this website. Tragic news came to our attention over a week ago that led us to revisit this information and it's effect on the defamation suffered by Penn State. As you read this information we ask two very important questions: Was it proper for John Surma to lead the Board of Trustees to fire Joe Paterno? Was John Surma's action during that meeting influenced by what had happened to his nephew Victor B. Surma?

For a week we have had multiple independent sources telling us in confidence that Victor Benjamin Surma dIed of a heroin overdose and the Surma family had gone to considerable lengths to keep his death quiet. There was no public notice or obituary - only word of a closed small private memorial service for family and the closest of friends. We have hesitated to publish this information out of sympathy for the family. Finally tonight an obituary for Victor B. Surma appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Obituary for Victor Benjamin Surma

Victor B. Surma, of Upper St. Clair and New York City, N.Y., passed away earlier this year in Manhattan, N.Y. Born July 20, 1983, he was a son of Dr. Victor J. and Kathy (Keim) Surma;

We found a Facebook statement that Vic died on Jan 26, 2014 written by his mother Kathy Surma on March 28th and we suspect that is why an obituary has finally been published.

Victor Surma, Sr. went on a PSU football message board and posted disparaging remarks about Coach Joe Paterno after his son left the football team. According to reliable sources, John Surma had been pushing for the ouster of Paterno ever since joining the PSU BOT in 2007 and led the way to orchestrate the firing of Coach Paterno on Nov. 9, 2011. That action caused terrible damage to Penn State and the Paterno legacy and family. We believe there is strong evidence of a direct connection between these events and at the very least John Surma had a conflict of interest that should have excluded him from any part in that decision.

Joe Paterno preached personal responsibility to all of his players and staff. It is not the place of a football coach to control the personal lives of players. Vic Surma the father says Paterno 'destroyed the self-esteem and confidence of young players'. But it was Vic, the father, that decided his son should walk on at Penn State instead of taking a full scholarship at Kent State. Vic the son simply was not equipped to win playing time at a top Division 1 program. Did Vic's failure to succeed given the pressure from his father destroy his self esteem and confidence? Or was that the fault of Joe Paterno?

John Surma, Vice-chairman of the Trustees took over for Chairman Steve Garban that fateful night in November following Linda Kelly's Presentment press conference. Garban excused himself because he was once a player for Paterno. It appeared that Surma and Gov Corbett had planned the firing of Joe Paterno well in advance of that emergency meeting. Corbett as the past AG knew what was coming and of Surma's strong dislike for Joe. Railroading the Trustees was easy - Corbett appointees along with the inner circle controlled Board decisions. Those who had any concern over the firing were quickly silenced and told that Corbett as former Attorney General had inside information concerning the extent of involvement by Paterno and PSU administrators. After all, Corbett convened the Grand Jury that wrote the indictments, so his conflict of interest is impossible to overstate. Here, the former Attorney General responsible for building the case against PSU, had become the most powerful member of the Board responsible for protecting the interests of PSU.

Upward State's Focus on Future Is Little More Than Sweeping PSU's Problems Under The Rug

Upward State candidate Matt Schulyer's op-ed in the March 28th CDT spins a tale of focusing on PSU's future for the good of the students. However, the fact is that Upward State is a front group for the Old Guard BOT whose goal is to ensure that PSU's malfeasance never gets exposed.

By
Ray Blehar

Matt Schuyler's op-ed in the Centre Daily Times spins a story about how UpwardState has listened to the students and are looking out for their best interests. In addition, Schuyler states that UpwardState agree with the alumni on the mishandling of the Sandusky scandal, but disagree with alumni that any effort should be spent on finding out the truth.

In short, the people that the UpwardState slate is really listening to are the "old guard" Board of Trustees, their friends who were former officers of the Penn State Alumni Association, and those who have corporate ties to BOT members (e.g., Ken Frazier).

If Schuyler, McHugh, and Cocco really do possess "seasoned judgment" and "have a strong commitment to transparency," then they would obviously realize that there was a complete lack of transparency by the BOT in dealing with the Sandusky scandal. The recently released e-mails from PSU reveal that the BOT was doing all that it could to operate under a cloak of secrecy.

Friday Night (3/28) BAGWELL email dump on Twitter (#101-180)

Latest story line to emerge is that the Freeh group's "important" meetings with the Special Investigations Task Force appears to track with key communications and filings by the OAG. Urgent meetings held after Fina's letter to Baldwin on Grand Jury Subpoena Compliance (12/19) and after Perjury Particulars were filed (4/2). I also threw in a tweet about Freeh covering up relationships between PSU and TSM Board Members.

Tweets