$185,000

Did that number catch your eye? It has been reported to me that at a clergy meeting on Wednesday, Bishop Skip Adams disclosed that the diocese spent that amount in the bishop's failed attempt to remove Fr. David Bollinger from the priesthood. The bishop gave some lame excuse for why the presentment failed, but the real reason is the diocese refused to release a key piece of evidence to Fr. Bollinger's defense team. That piece of evidence is the Shaffer Report. Questioning minds must continue to ask why the bishop would be willing to endure the public humiliation of a failed presentment so that he could continue to conceal the contents of the Shaffer Report.

It has also been reported to me that the bishop made at least two false statements at the clergy meeting. One, he said that the State Police are still investigating Fr. Bollinger. A reliable source says this is untrue. Second, the bishop said that the courts have ruled in favor of the diocese in the case against St. Andrew's, Syracuse. This is also untrue. A second source tells me that the parish was willing to settle out of court; no court decision was made.

Some in central NY wonder how much the bishop has spent on his legal assault against St. Andrew's, Syracuse. The legal action against St. Andrew's has been longer and more costly than the Bollinger fiasco. Given the $185,000 he admits spending on the Bollinger presentment, the speculation is that the amount spent on legal work against St. Andrew's, Syracuse exceeds the assessed value of the property. In a recent assessment the church was valued at $220,000. We have been told that in the Binghamton area churches are selling at ten cents on the dollar. What reasonable person would spend more on legal costs than they can get in return should they win a lawsuit? The drama in DCNY continues.

I also learned this weekend that the bishop was pressed by other clergy at the clergy gathering to release the Shaffer Report. The bishop continues to stonewall the report. We can only speculate what's in that report, but again, it can't be favorable to the diocese if the bishop is going to these lengths to keep it from the priests and laity of the diocese. One speculation is that the report comments on the comptroller's breaking into Fr. Bollinger's retirement accounts. If so, we can understand what kind of questions that action would raise. Stay tuned.