He explained that I should abandon these issues and engage myself in productive concerns involving the college. He noted that the trustees had told him that they did not hire him to write books at the college and that he had told them that if his word could not be trusted he may as well resign. When I persisted in my information quest, however, he promised to make arrangements for a letter from John Harney verifying the contract with Praeger and also explained that he had misspoken when he used the word checks when he claimed he had signed checks, but he was really final authorizing authority for these checks, which is done through a form known as OPS Form 61.

We agreed to meet again at which time he would get a letter from Harney, as he had privacy concerns about showing me the contract, even though I had suggested he redact any materials of concern to him. I told him that I would reflect on and seek to check into some of his new explanations in the meanwhile.

On Aug 25, Mr. Horrigan sent me a letter: "The executive committee evaluated Dr. Zimon's responses to the questions you have raised and determined that his responses have adequately clarified the issues you have brought to our attention. Finally, I understand from President Zimon that you participated in what he perceived as a very productive session during which most of your concerns were resolved, and that he believed there was mutual agreement on steps that could resolve your remaining concerns. We understand that you have been concerned about this matter and want you to know that your concerns have received appropriate attention." It was clear to me that the committee had conducted no investigation, was dismissive of the gravity of the allegations, notwithstanding Mr. Horrigan's professed concern, and was relying exclusively on Col Zimon's verbal denials. It was a sham designed purely to exonerate Col Zimon. A copy of the letter was also sent to Bill King.

I submitted a new request to the army for the OPS Form 61 as well as any documents that might verify that Col Zimon had written the response to my FOI request. I also had telephone communications with army personnel who indicated the OPS Form 61 was not a check authorization at all and that neither Col Zimon nor the office of operations and plans, where he worked, had financial responsibilities of that nature, which was later reaffirmed in the FOI response.

Not having heard from Col Zimon for weeks, I contacted Mr. Harney and discovered that Col Zimon had not approached him for the letter he had promised to secure from him affirming the existence of a contract. I checked via email with Col Zimon whether he was any closer to getting the letter from Harney. He responded that he needed a little more time for that, but that he would like to discuss the new FOI I had submitted to the army. I suggested that a meeting in the absence of the letter from Harney would be unproductive and it would be unhelpful to go through this unpleasant business repeatedly until the documentation was on hand.

We met anyway, at which time I communicated to Col Zimon that he had misrepresented to Mr. Horrigan my views when he told him that my concerns were resolved. He in turn expressed concern that I was still filing FOIs with the army, which he said, distressed him as a citizen because it drained army resources at a time when serious national security issues awaited to be addressed. He also asked rather pointedly whether I was a citizen. I am not, I told him. I am quite confident that Albright College will not descend to the level that some politicians in this city are advocating with a sons of the soil litmus test. I do not believe that that was Col Zimon's intention either, even though it is an odd inquiry in the college setting.

--..Continued..

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