Spanier Filing: Fed Security clearance investigators interviewed C/S!

[WeR0206]

I didn't know this. I knew that Spanier was investigated by federal security clearance folks re: Sandusky and cleared but I didn't know that they also spoke to Curley and Schultz.

Spanier asked freeh (when he finally got around to intereviewing him) to hold off on publishing his report until the fed security clearance investigation results came back. Freeh did not wait and instead published his report 4 days after Spanier's interview....smh

From page 75 of the Spanier defamation filing:


"The thoroughly researched analysis conducted in the federal security clearance report, when later made available to Dr. Spanier, indeed included statements by Schultz, Curley, members of the University administration and trustees, former Penn State General Counsel Cynthia Baldwin, and many other witnesses with information relevant to Freeh's investigation.

The inclusion of statements by Schultz and Curley in the federal security clearance report is especially significant because, as Freeh certainly knew when he issued his Report, Schultz and Curley were among the individuals who Freeh did not interview. Had Freeh waited for the federal report to be issued before finalizing or issuing his Report - as Dr. Spanier specifically requested - Freeh would have had this crucial information."






This post was edited on 3/25 5:53 PM by WeR0206

 

[psu00]

The problem is that Freeh didn't really care about any of that information. Of course, that's pathetic given his job responsibility, but it's par for the course in how this was handled. One issue that has not been thoroughly explained yet is the sudden release of the Freeh report. IIRC it was not supposed to come out until the Fall but all of a sudden there's a leak that it was about to be released and like a week later in July the report was released. Why the sudden rush to get the report out and ignore things like Spanier's testimony? At the time, everyone got so engrossed in the hysteria of the report that it was quickly forgotten and no one asked why the sudden rush of the release of the report and who wanted it rushed.

 

[WeR0206]

Originally posted by psu00:
The problem is that Freeh didn't really care about any of that information. Of course, that's pathetic given his job responsibility, but it's par for the course in how this was handled. One issue that has not been thoroughly explained yet is the sudden release of the Freeh report. IIRC it was not supposed to come out until the Fall but all of a sudden there's a leak that it was about to be released and like a week later in July the report was released. Why the sudden rush to get the report out and ignore things like Spanier's testimony? At the time, everyone got so engrossed in the hysteria of the report that it was quickly forgotten and no one asked why the sudden rush of the release of the report and who wanted it rushed.

I too have wondering the same thing many times. Something made then speed everything up...

Here's more from the filing (page 76) that I also didn't know:

198. The federal investigative report also directly addresses the
circumstances surrounding the 2001 McQueary/Sandusky incident, specifically
contradicting Freeh's claim that Dr. Spanier was aware of and covered up a sexual
assault by Sandusky.


199. Gary Schultz told the federal investigator that Curley told Dr. Spanier
that the incident involved horseplay, not sexual abuse or any other criminal
activity.


200. The federal investigative report also contains notes of an interview
with Dr. Thomas G. Poole, Vice President for Administration at Penn State, who
recounted a meeting with Dr. Spanier after the Sandusky grand jury presentment
became public. Schultz walked in on the meeting, and, speaking of the grand jury
presentment, stated that the witness never told Schultz that he saw anything sexual.
This is yet another statement by Schultz confirming that Dr. Spanier was not told
that the 2001 incident involved sexual abuse of a minor by Sandusky

201. Considering the gravity of the charges Freeh planned to level against
Dr. Spanier, Freeh had no pressing need to publish his Report immediately, and no
legitimate investigative reason not to wait to see the report conducted by highly trained and independent members of the Federal Investigative Service. Freeh,
being a former federal employee himself, knew that the federal investigation (itself
similar in length to the Freeh Report) would be comprehensive and credible.
Similarly, Freeh had no legitimate investigative reason for not verifying the
interview statements made by Dr. Spanier just days before the release of the
Report. Instead, Freeh chose to rush his Report to publication to meet the Board's
public relations needs and his own commercial interests.

 

[LundyPSU]

So, why doesn't Spanier release the Feds report?

*

 

[Obliviax]

It's probably the property of the Feds and not his to release*

y

 

[LundyPSU]

So how would Freeh get access to the report?

Isnt Spanier saying that had Freeh waited, he would have access to the report to include its findings (including interviews with Schultz and Curley)?

 

[Obliviax]

Don't know...its a good point*

y

 

[BigTimeBig]

I think a few things led to the rushed release of the report...

1. NCAA was in Freeh's ear about getting the report out before the season in order to leave them enough time to act if necessary.

2. A week after the release, a higher court ruled that Freeh's FIFA investigation was pretty much crap and overturned the lifetime ban of the former FIFA presidential candidate. It's possible Freeh knew this ruling was coming and was advised to get the report out ahead of his name being drug thru the mud from a previous investigation.

3. Sandusky had just been sentenced a week or two earlier so it would have a greater impact on the public perception to put the blame on the 4 men closer to JS's conviction rather than wait another 4-5 months.

Just my thoughts.... And for some reason a full team of investigators and lawyers didn't even have enough time to renumber the appendicies after some exhibits were removed before the release for unknown reasons.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[91Joe95]

Maybe they were just following the advice of their PR firms

on how to make the biggest impact. I sure would love to see exactly what the bot was paying for, and I have come to suspect it wasn't good.

 

[WeR0206]

Re: So how would Freeh get access to the report?

Originally posted by LundyPSU:
Isnt Spanier saying that had Freeh waited, he would have access to the report to include its findings (including interviews with Schultz and Curley)?

Spanier's filing explains that Spanier had requested the results of the federal security clearance investigation via Freedom of Information Act and offered to send the results to freeh once he had them...apparently freeh didn't wait and when ahead and published his report 4 days after interviewing Spanier.

The following excerpt from the Spanier filings gives some background:

189. At the beginning of the July 6, 2012 interview with Freeh and his
investigative team, Dr. Spanier told Freeh that the federal government had
completed a four-month investigation into Dr. Spanier's continued fitness to hold a
Top Secret clearance, including questions about his role, if any, in the Sandusky
matter, and that the investigation exculpated Dr. Spanier and reaffirmed Dr.
Spanier's fitness to keep his Top Secret security clearance. Dr. Spanier told Freeh
that he had made a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of the federal
investigative report and offered to provide a copy of the report to Freeh upon his
receipt of it.


190. During the July 6, 2012 interview, Dr. Spanier specifically asked
Freeh not to reach any conclusions, and to defer finalizing and issuing his own
report, until Freeh took the opportunity to review and take into account the
findings of the federal government.


191. Dr. Spanier also specifically told Freeh that Schultz and Curley - the
two most knowledgeable individuals with regard to what Dr. Spanier knew about
the McQueary/Sandusky incident - had been interviewed by, and had given
statements to, the federal investigator performing the security clearance
investigation. Dr. Spanier also told Freeh that the security clearance investigation interviews included some members of the Board of Trustees, University
administrators, Penn State General Counsel Cynthia Baldwin, and others.

 

[WeR0206]

Re: So, why doesn't Spanier release the Feds report?

I'm not sure why Spanier never released the full report...maybe he did and no one noticed/cared?

I do remember Spanier mentioning in some of his interviews to the press that the security clearance investigation pretty much exonerated him but no one in the media/PSU BOT seemed to care or asked to see the results b/c IMO it didn't fit with THEIR narrative.

There's also a part in the defamation filing (pages 75-76 ) that shows a direct quote from the federal report:

"Indeed, the federal report
states: "The circumstances surrounding [Dr. Spanier's] departure from his position as PSU President do not cast doubt on [Dr. Spanier's] current reliability,
trustworthiness or good judgment and do not cast doubt on his ability to properly
safeguard national security information."

198. The federal investigative report also directly addresses the
circumstances surrounding the 2001 McQueary/Sandusky incident, specifically
contradicting Freeh's claim that Dr. Spanier was aware of and covered up a sexual
assault by Sandusky."

 

[Countrylion]

When you go for a security clearance you get

to see the report but you can not share a copy of it.

 

[VaNtyLion]

He wouldn't need access to the report to see its outcome...

And as a former FBI director, Louis would have known full well the thoroughness of the the security clearance investigation. To ignore its outcome is another example of Freeh's willful disregard for anything other than his own BS narrative.

 

[indynittany]

Re: He wouldn't need access to the report to see its outcome...


I always thought the timing was about "shock and awe". Within a ten day period, you had Freeh's PC, the statue removed and Emmert's PC. The press had multiple orgasms. I think they expected us to curl up in a fetal position and just accept it. Little did they know!

 

[PSU65]

Re: When you go for a security clearance you get

You don't get to see the report--just whether you passed or not.

 

[DonP74]

Re: He wouldn't need access to the report to see its outcome...

This proves what bullshit this whole thing is starting with Mike McQueary. Are all of these guys lying?

Let's face it; they wanted the PSU players to transfer out immediately and PSU to no longer be able to field a team. That's it period. Rod, Karen, Kenny and Surma almost had their dream come true. Most of our heroic seniors and OB held the fragile team together and won 8 games.

Again Fina stated on national TV there was no evidence against Joe.

 

[Bayou Lion]

That is the correct answer......

And why Spainer needed to do a FOIA request to get it. Not sure that would have worked though because of security concerns.

 

[DCRob]

Freeh was the puppet of "our" BOT and the NCAA. Independent investigator..

my ass!

 

[CCFlamingo]

How about the timing was perfect to propel a governor to the Vice Presidential nomination, Pennsylvania goes red and Romney is President.