3/29/2011: From Katie Thomas in the NY Times:
… The most serious revelations involve nearly a dozen employees who told
investigators that the chief executive and others working for the bowl
encouraged them to make political contributions, then reimbursed them
with phony bonus payments. Some said they then were pressured to lie
about the practice.
The investigators do not make conclusions about whether bowl
executives or others broke the law, but at least one expert in nonprofit
organizations said the findings could lead to criminal charges. At
minimum, the investigation is likely to threaten the tax-exempt status
of the bowl, which, like most other prominent organizations in college
sports, is formally registered as a charity….
Schoeffler was reimbursed for six other visits to the same strip club,
even though the Fiesta Bowl employee manual prohibits reimbursements for
strip club entertainment.
Some of the expenses appeared to be personal in nature. Last year,
Junker’s daughter, Lucy, was seeking admission to the honors program at
the University of Texas.
The Fiesta Bowl paid $75 to send flowers to the head of the honors
admissions program. Lucy Junker was accepted into the program, according
to the report.
The Fiesta Bowl is one of the members of the “Bowl Championship Series”. UO President Emeritus Dave Frohnmayer was head of the BCS until July 2009. Frohnmayer on the bowls:
“It’s an
unparalleled opportunity to raise philanthropic funds, which by the way,
go to far more than athletic endeavors….
Yes, they certainly do.
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